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The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within
A renowned climber and National Geographic photographer shares his incredible adventures—and the early trauma that drove him to seek such heights.
“In order to escape madness, I will live madly. I will risk my life in order to save it.”
Growing up in the mountains of Utah, Cory Richards was constantly surrounded by the outdoors. His father, a high school teacher and a ski patroller, spent years teaching Richards and his brother how to ski, climb, mountaineer, and survive in the wild. Despite a seemingly idyllic childhood, the Richards home was fraught with violence, grief, and mental illness. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and dropping out of high school, Richards subsumed himself in the worlds of photography and climbing, seeking out the farthest reaches of the world to escape the darkness. Then, in the midst of a wildly successful career in adventure photography, a catastrophic avalanche changed everything, forcing Richards to confront the trauma of his past, evaluate his own mental health, and learn to rewrite his story.
The Color of Everything is a thrilling tale of risk and adventure, written by a man who has done it all: He’s stood at the top of the world, climbed imposing mountain faces alone in the dark, and become the only American to summit an 8,000-meter peak in winter. But it is also the story of a tumultuous life—a stirring, lyrical memoir that captures the profound musings of an unquiet mind grappling with the meaning of success, the cost of fame and addiction, and whether it is possible to outrun your demons. With exquisite prose and disarming candor, accompanied by stunning photos from his career, Richards excavates the roots of his trauma and shares what it took for him to climb out of it.
“In order to escape madness, I will live madly. I will risk my life in order to save it.”
Growing up in the mountains of Utah, Cory Richards was constantly surrounded by the outdoors. His father, a high school teacher and a ski patroller, spent years teaching Richards and his brother how to ski, climb, mountaineer, and survive in the wild. Despite a seemingly idyllic childhood, the Richards home was fraught with violence, grief, and mental illness. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and dropping out of high school, Richards subsumed himself in the worlds of photography and climbing, seeking out the farthest reaches of the world to escape the darkness. Then, in the midst of a wildly successful career in adventure photography, a catastrophic avalanche changed everything, forcing Richards to confront the trauma of his past, evaluate his own mental health, and learn to rewrite his story.
The Color of Everything is a thrilling tale of risk and adventure, written by a man who has done it all: He’s stood at the top of the world, climbed imposing mountain faces alone in the dark, and become the only American to summit an 8,000-meter peak in winter. But it is also the story of a tumultuous life—a stirring, lyrical memoir that captures the profound musings of an unquiet mind grappling with the meaning of success, the cost of fame and addiction, and whether it is possible to outrun your demons. With exquisite prose and disarming candor, accompanied by stunning photos from his career, Richards excavates the roots of his trauma and shares what it took for him to climb out of it.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published July 9, 2024
271 people are currently reading
11099 people want to read
About the author
Cory Richards
5 books64 followersCory Richards is an internationally renowned photographer, filmmaker, and author of the memoir The Color of Everything. He is the first and only American to climb one of the world’s 8000m peaks in winter. His documentation of the climb and aftermath of the experience was made into the award-winning documentary COLD and appeared on the cover of the 125th anniversary issue of National Geographic. Richards is a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Photographer Fellow, and a two-time recipient of an Explorers Grant. He has photographed twelve feature assignments for the magazine. He has an active speaking career, in which he speaks about conservation, mental health, leadership, and vulnerability.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
June 22, 2024
I was invited to read this memoir about a man who suffered with bipolar disorder, but channeled his energies into climbing Mount Everest, becoming a photojournalist, writer, and documentarian. The book arrested me right away with a near death experience for author Cory Richards surviving an avalanche. There is a famous selfie he took right after this where he's crying and his eyes are covered with snow. My first thought was, "Why would someone want to do this again?!!!" Yet he did do this again... and again and again. It seems like Cory was taking life by the balls and testing its limits with the incredibly dangerous mountain climbing experiences he achieved and documented. He travelled all over the world experiencing a multitude of cultures, exploring silence and meditation, transitioning through homes, wives, and girlfriends.
Cory spent time as a teenager in a psychiatric hospital, and although had good parents, had a difficult relationship with his brother, and experienced family trauma. Cory is a very talented writer, exquisite in putting to pen and paper his ruminations on mental health, relationships, and everything in between. He really "went deep" on a lot of subjects as he navigated an interesting but difficult life, and as a voyeur I enjoyed looking through his window on the world.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
Cory spent time as a teenager in a psychiatric hospital, and although had good parents, had a difficult relationship with his brother, and experienced family trauma. Cory is a very talented writer, exquisite in putting to pen and paper his ruminations on mental health, relationships, and everything in between. He really "went deep" on a lot of subjects as he navigated an interesting but difficult life, and as a voyeur I enjoyed looking through his window on the world.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
November 26, 2024
In his memoir The Color of Everything, Cory Richards (b. 1981) lays bare his history with mental illness and substance abuse, his childhood traumas and wild adolescence, his former career as a photographer and adventurer, and plenty of disgusting behavior (adultery, sexual harassment) he's continued into adulthood under the guise of his past traumas and mental illness. His memoir, published when Richards was in his early 40s, comes across as largely self-indulgent and self-absorbed, like he's still wandering through life and searching for the next money-making grift that'll get him through another few months.
My statistics:
Book 282 for 2024
Book 1855 cumulatively
My statistics:
Book 282 for 2024
Book 1855 cumulatively
March 5, 2024
Cory Richards is known by some as an award-winning photographer for National Geographic. Others know him for being the first American to climb an 8000 meter mountain (Everest) during the winter. No matter how one knows of him, or doesn’t, his memoir is one that would interest many readers.
This is because the topics covered in his book are numerous: mountaineering, bipolar disease (and mental health in general), loss, and reflection. Given that this review is for a sports book site, the mountaineering aspect was my attraction to the book. There isn’t a lot of technical jargon or stories from base camps like there are in other climbing books I have read. But these sections are satisfying because the reader will get to know the emotions of not only Richards, but his climbing partners as well. There is some climbing vocabulary and there are stories of the physical dangers as well, but the climbing aspect is more mental than physical.
That is important to this book and very appropriate since more than a book on sport, it is more a book on mental health. Richards documents his time spent in institutions, the addictions he was suffering and the toll these took on his relationships and his physical condition. There are stories of his mental health issues all through his life – from childhood to now. I found that while some of this material seemed choppy and scattered about for no particular reason (especially Part III, the last section of the book), it all really comes together to paint a complex picture of a brilliant but complex man.
I wish to thank Random House for providing a review copy of the book. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
This is because the topics covered in his book are numerous: mountaineering, bipolar disease (and mental health in general), loss, and reflection. Given that this review is for a sports book site, the mountaineering aspect was my attraction to the book. There isn’t a lot of technical jargon or stories from base camps like there are in other climbing books I have read. But these sections are satisfying because the reader will get to know the emotions of not only Richards, but his climbing partners as well. There is some climbing vocabulary and there are stories of the physical dangers as well, but the climbing aspect is more mental than physical.
That is important to this book and very appropriate since more than a book on sport, it is more a book on mental health. Richards documents his time spent in institutions, the addictions he was suffering and the toll these took on his relationships and his physical condition. There are stories of his mental health issues all through his life – from childhood to now. I found that while some of this material seemed choppy and scattered about for no particular reason (especially Part III, the last section of the book), it all really comes together to paint a complex picture of a brilliant but complex man.
I wish to thank Random House for providing a review copy of the book. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
August 30, 2024
“But the words don’t really matter. We’re just yelling to be seen.”
“Downstream is the future, and if we choose honesty, the future is always hopeful.”
“In love the question is often the answer.”
“Often we cant understand the depth of a wound we've inflicted until it's been carved into us.”
“And yet, if we're open to it, there's value in the hero's fall. A heap of melted wax is a lesson for everyone.”
“We are all overlapping stories woven together like a tapestry that blankets the world and that is what all the light is refecting off of. We are a daisy chain of eight billion reflections.”
“Science is another incomplete language for something that sits beyond words. And still, say what you can and mean what you say and when there are no more words just let the silence speak. For a moment, let the silence scream.”
Holy fuck.
I was really chewing on this book slowly because each chapter, even each epigraph in the beginning, holds the ability to drop your whole perception of the world onto you. And even if it doesn’t, that is okay, too. The story Cory Richard’s colors in for us is a hilarious, beautiful, and enduring one. I nibbled slowly, laughing, thinking, and gaping at its contents. It’s conversations on mental health, photography, sense of exploration, understanding others, and becoming yourself is a conversation that everyone should share and partake in, just as I believe that this book is for everyone.
“Downstream is the future, and if we choose honesty, the future is always hopeful.”
“In love the question is often the answer.”
“Often we cant understand the depth of a wound we've inflicted until it's been carved into us.”
“And yet, if we're open to it, there's value in the hero's fall. A heap of melted wax is a lesson for everyone.”
“We are all overlapping stories woven together like a tapestry that blankets the world and that is what all the light is refecting off of. We are a daisy chain of eight billion reflections.”
“Science is another incomplete language for something that sits beyond words. And still, say what you can and mean what you say and when there are no more words just let the silence speak. For a moment, let the silence scream.”
Holy fuck.
I was really chewing on this book slowly because each chapter, even each epigraph in the beginning, holds the ability to drop your whole perception of the world onto you. And even if it doesn’t, that is okay, too. The story Cory Richard’s colors in for us is a hilarious, beautiful, and enduring one. I nibbled slowly, laughing, thinking, and gaping at its contents. It’s conversations on mental health, photography, sense of exploration, understanding others, and becoming yourself is a conversation that everyone should share and partake in, just as I believe that this book is for everyone.
April 29, 2024
"Climbing is an act of overcoming through reduction and refinement and occasionally brute force." - Cory Richards
This quote fits as a description of Cory Richards' life. To sum it up in a sentence - this is the story of a man who becomes a well-known photographer while dealing with his mental illness.
It took me a while to warm up to Richard's storytelling style. He's very wordy and to be honest, the chapters on his childhood were disturbing to me as he was very detailed, very self-absorbed and his description of the effect his behavior had on his family was horrible. He was subject to and participated in domestic abuse and it affects his life from his relationships to his academics and, I imagine, his self-esteem. I found the pace to be slow in the beginning as he describes the trauma he endured during childhood. Eventually, the book picks up the pace after he receives a diagnosis and ends up getting some medical treatment although there are times when he gets bogged down in details. He is known as a photographer who takes great risks - climbing mountains and living through the avalanche that he describes during the first chapter of the book.
One aspect of Richards' writing I did enjoy was the quote at the beginning of each chapter which helps set the tone. Richards make a point of letting the reader know that he is well-read and that he used to quote texts in high school, so it is apt that he begin each chapter with a fitting quotation.
I didn't know who he was prior to receiving this ARC, but found his memoir to be okay. It didn't pull me in and hold my attention as other memoirs have, but it might be that I just don't relate to him. The chapters I found most interesting were the ones in which he came to terms and sought treatment with his mental illness (bipolar). I haven't known anyone around me that has bipolar disorder so it was interesting to learn more about it from a person living with it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
This quote fits as a description of Cory Richards' life. To sum it up in a sentence - this is the story of a man who becomes a well-known photographer while dealing with his mental illness.
It took me a while to warm up to Richard's storytelling style. He's very wordy and to be honest, the chapters on his childhood were disturbing to me as he was very detailed, very self-absorbed and his description of the effect his behavior had on his family was horrible. He was subject to and participated in domestic abuse and it affects his life from his relationships to his academics and, I imagine, his self-esteem. I found the pace to be slow in the beginning as he describes the trauma he endured during childhood. Eventually, the book picks up the pace after he receives a diagnosis and ends up getting some medical treatment although there are times when he gets bogged down in details. He is known as a photographer who takes great risks - climbing mountains and living through the avalanche that he describes during the first chapter of the book.
One aspect of Richards' writing I did enjoy was the quote at the beginning of each chapter which helps set the tone. Richards make a point of letting the reader know that he is well-read and that he used to quote texts in high school, so it is apt that he begin each chapter with a fitting quotation.
I didn't know who he was prior to receiving this ARC, but found his memoir to be okay. It didn't pull me in and hold my attention as other memoirs have, but it might be that I just don't relate to him. The chapters I found most interesting were the ones in which he came to terms and sought treatment with his mental illness (bipolar). I haven't known anyone around me that has bipolar disorder so it was interesting to learn more about it from a person living with it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
July 9, 2024
4.5 stars
“Wow! Wow! Just wow!” But this is no child’s goat-cow-giraffe-zebra-horse….
The Color of Everything is a memoir of adventure, success, fame, and the struggle to overcome personal demons. Cory Richards grew up in Utah's mountains, learning outdoor skills from his father despite a troubled home life. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he found solace in photography and climbing. His successful adventure photography career was disrupted by a catastrophic avalanche, forcing him to confront past trauma and mental health.
The Color of Everything is a demanding work. It’s a torrent. A purging. It’s a very fluid book, insofar as it’s like a large body of water. It swells, stretches out in a calm peace, crashes with floods, and slows to trickling streams. It’s raw…if I can use a word that Cory himself hides behind by hating it. Though I dislike the use of present tense in a broad sense, I can feel the pull of him through life as existing only in moments. He is constantly in the now, and this memoir delivers this. You can know Cory from these pages — maybe more or less than he intended, and maybe more or less than through his photography, but you can feel his presence throughout.
Inside this memoir, Cory emerges as adventurer, artist, and observer. There’s beauty in the writing style, whether his own or a ghost writer’s, and it’s a marbling of fact and experience. Yes, there’s a decent amount of mountain climbing, but there is also science, mostly centered around mental health explorations, and a deep poignancy that felt like an exposed wound. Some of it is science for you. Some are his plaintive pleas of defending and defining himself with science. But it doesn’t matter, it all works together as if he’s both teacher and patient. He has split himself open down the middle and said look here.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
“Wow! Wow! Just wow!” But this is no child’s goat-cow-giraffe-zebra-horse….
The Color of Everything is a memoir of adventure, success, fame, and the struggle to overcome personal demons. Cory Richards grew up in Utah's mountains, learning outdoor skills from his father despite a troubled home life. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he found solace in photography and climbing. His successful adventure photography career was disrupted by a catastrophic avalanche, forcing him to confront past trauma and mental health.
The Color of Everything is a demanding work. It’s a torrent. A purging. It’s a very fluid book, insofar as it’s like a large body of water. It swells, stretches out in a calm peace, crashes with floods, and slows to trickling streams. It’s raw…if I can use a word that Cory himself hides behind by hating it. Though I dislike the use of present tense in a broad sense, I can feel the pull of him through life as existing only in moments. He is constantly in the now, and this memoir delivers this. You can know Cory from these pages — maybe more or less than he intended, and maybe more or less than through his photography, but you can feel his presence throughout.
Inside this memoir, Cory emerges as adventurer, artist, and observer. There’s beauty in the writing style, whether his own or a ghost writer’s, and it’s a marbling of fact and experience. Yes, there’s a decent amount of mountain climbing, but there is also science, mostly centered around mental health explorations, and a deep poignancy that felt like an exposed wound. Some of it is science for you. Some are his plaintive pleas of defending and defining himself with science. But it doesn’t matter, it all works together as if he’s both teacher and patient. He has split himself open down the middle and said look here.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
March 4, 2024
Before picking up The Color of Everything, I had never heard of Cory Richards. In case you haven't either, he's most well known for being a National Geographic photographer specializing in photography of high altitude mountain climbing. In The Color of Everything, Richards details his life. He opens with an intense telling of being buried alive by an avalanche. Then, the book swings back to his childhood, through his adolescence, and eventually to the avalanche and beyond. The book is broken up into three parts, of which I loved the first two. The third felt disorganized to me, which really soured the ending.
What I loved about this book:
-Richards's descriptions of his family, family trauma, and how it impacted his life perspective and behaviors (trigger warning for domestic violence)
-The details of climbing mountains! I love the sense of adventure, awe of nature, and severity of high altitude mountain climbing (did you know that 22% of people who attempt to climb a mountain >8,000 meters die while doing so?!)
-Richards's experiences with mental illness -- and he has a broad spectrum of diagnoses he openly shares about, as well as his treatment attempts
-Richards's general openness with the pain he's lived with, including his being named as a perpetrator during the height of the #MeToo movement
What was harder to get behind:
As I mentioned, the third part of this book felt disorganized, disconnected, not cohesive. The first two parts followed, more or less, a consecutive telling of Richards's life. Even when the history moved back and forth, it was easy to follow and highly readable (although emotionally challenging). The third part felt like Richards had a lot he still wanted to say, on a wide variety of topics, and did a massive brain dump. It didn't all come together well, some of it is his story, some of it is random facts and statistics, and some of it used a different narrator voice (this was really noticeable to me in the story about his girlfriend who was a sex worker). And despite his vast struggles, I felt like Richards's ego shines throughout, and that made him difficult for me to like at times. Lastly, the acknowledgments really bugged me.
Overall, I would recommend this book. It's interesting and powerful. I'm hopeful the final version will have some editing that will improve the third part. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“After all, family dynamics aren’t independent clusters of choice and consequence, but rather a tapestry of intricately woven threads of action and reaction, passing over and under each other, knotting together time, emotion, and experience as one.”
“I don’t yet understand that consent is not singular, but an unfolding string of agreements made throughout any experience. I don’t know that I can say no once I’ve said yes.”
“I know I’m not the most talented, but I’m talented enough. I have a talent for relentlessness to the point of annoyance.”
“But I don’t wonder anymore at the irony of staying sane to do insane things to escape insanity.”
“Only fourteen mountains in the world are higher than 8,000 meters, or 26,246 feet, which is just below the altitude of a commercial airline flight. The average summit-to-death ratio combined across all fourteen peaks is a little over 4 to 1—which means about 22 percent of the people who attempt an 8,000-meter mountain die. Himalayan mountaineering boasts one of the highest mortality rates of any sport.”
“The big difference is that narcissists intentionally set land mines for other people to benefit themselves. It’s calculated behavior and they often know they do it. Bipolar people tend to step on the landmines that fall from their pockets while they’re manically running through a field.”
“There’s a table and lamp with soft orange light and a box of tissues. By now I’ve killed a forest in rooms just like this. Maybe my next sponsor should be Kleenex.”
“…satisfaction doesn’t translate on newsstands. Happiness is a better story. The first thing he explains is that it’s slippery and elusive and I feel vindicated…”
“Happiness is both internal and external. It’s choices as much as hormones as much as environment. It’s how much you walk (lots), how much time you spend with friends and community (four to six hours a day), and what you put in your mouth (mostly plants). It’s security and family and ownership and belonging. It’s purpose, play, place, and people and I’m becoming more and more confused by what happiness actually looks like.”
“Hard as it might be to accept, trying to fix someone is deeply narcissistic behavior. I’d given her all of my power and stolen all of hers because that’s what “saving” a person does. It isn’t respect. It isn’t love. It’s an arrogant extraction of agency. It does not say “I love you.” It says, “You are a broken thing.””
What I loved about this book:
-Richards's descriptions of his family, family trauma, and how it impacted his life perspective and behaviors (trigger warning for domestic violence)
-The details of climbing mountains! I love the sense of adventure, awe of nature, and severity of high altitude mountain climbing (did you know that 22% of people who attempt to climb a mountain >8,000 meters die while doing so?!)
-Richards's experiences with mental illness -- and he has a broad spectrum of diagnoses he openly shares about, as well as his treatment attempts
-Richards's general openness with the pain he's lived with, including his being named as a perpetrator during the height of the #MeToo movement
What was harder to get behind:
As I mentioned, the third part of this book felt disorganized, disconnected, not cohesive. The first two parts followed, more or less, a consecutive telling of Richards's life. Even when the history moved back and forth, it was easy to follow and highly readable (although emotionally challenging). The third part felt like Richards had a lot he still wanted to say, on a wide variety of topics, and did a massive brain dump. It didn't all come together well, some of it is his story, some of it is random facts and statistics, and some of it used a different narrator voice (this was really noticeable to me in the story about his girlfriend who was a sex worker). And despite his vast struggles, I felt like Richards's ego shines throughout, and that made him difficult for me to like at times. Lastly, the acknowledgments really bugged me.
Overall, I would recommend this book. It's interesting and powerful. I'm hopeful the final version will have some editing that will improve the third part. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“After all, family dynamics aren’t independent clusters of choice and consequence, but rather a tapestry of intricately woven threads of action and reaction, passing over and under each other, knotting together time, emotion, and experience as one.”
“I don’t yet understand that consent is not singular, but an unfolding string of agreements made throughout any experience. I don’t know that I can say no once I’ve said yes.”
“I know I’m not the most talented, but I’m talented enough. I have a talent for relentlessness to the point of annoyance.”
“But I don’t wonder anymore at the irony of staying sane to do insane things to escape insanity.”
“Only fourteen mountains in the world are higher than 8,000 meters, or 26,246 feet, which is just below the altitude of a commercial airline flight. The average summit-to-death ratio combined across all fourteen peaks is a little over 4 to 1—which means about 22 percent of the people who attempt an 8,000-meter mountain die. Himalayan mountaineering boasts one of the highest mortality rates of any sport.”
“The big difference is that narcissists intentionally set land mines for other people to benefit themselves. It’s calculated behavior and they often know they do it. Bipolar people tend to step on the landmines that fall from their pockets while they’re manically running through a field.”
“There’s a table and lamp with soft orange light and a box of tissues. By now I’ve killed a forest in rooms just like this. Maybe my next sponsor should be Kleenex.”
“…satisfaction doesn’t translate on newsstands. Happiness is a better story. The first thing he explains is that it’s slippery and elusive and I feel vindicated…”
“Happiness is both internal and external. It’s choices as much as hormones as much as environment. It’s how much you walk (lots), how much time you spend with friends and community (four to six hours a day), and what you put in your mouth (mostly plants). It’s security and family and ownership and belonging. It’s purpose, play, place, and people and I’m becoming more and more confused by what happiness actually looks like.”
“Hard as it might be to accept, trying to fix someone is deeply narcissistic behavior. I’d given her all of my power and stolen all of hers because that’s what “saving” a person does. It isn’t respect. It isn’t love. It’s an arrogant extraction of agency. It does not say “I love you.” It says, “You are a broken thing.””
April 2, 2024
I have never taken so long to read someone’s life story before, so I want to thank NetGalley for not writing me off and taking my ARC copy back!
I was drawn to the book as soon as I saw the word “Everest” and immediately asked if I could review it. It certainly did not disappoint.
First of all I have never subscribed to National Geographic, but used plenty of their articles as references during my school days in the pre-internet years in 1970s and 80s. They were always the magazines I reached for in waiting rooms, but I never knowingly came across any articles or photos of Cory’s before. In fact, I thought this was someone completely different’s story when all I knew was it included Everest and an avalanche.
At first I did not like the author- his writing voice was certainly poetic (that part I liked) but he was too focused on letting us know up front that things were not in his control and he wasn’t to blame. He made horrible mistakes and was the kind of acting out and tantrum throwing teen we often thank our lucky stars we hadn’t been “blessed” with.
Even as an adult this man seemed to always find something to complain about- he seemed to love climbing and his job through National Geographic seems like it would have been a match made in Heaven, but in the midst of these “adventures” he’s screaming on the inside how much he doesn’t want to be there!
Then why stay?
As someone who grows from a child frantically wanting to be seen to a man whose only focus is on himself, I would think “why am I still reading this?” but something in the way Cory writes kept me turning the page for more.
And plenty more there was- extreme climbing (both the successes and failures) or the way he kept going off the beaten track to try and see what all was really out there- to step into someone else’s small world and leave his behind for a brief moment). Heartbreaks, and struggling for connection even as he burned bridges between anyone who really cared.
Struggling with what it means to be bipolar and trying to just feel- whether through work, drugs, drinking, infidelity or trying local healing practices. Cory is open and raw, not sparing himself one bit from the reader’s most-likely condemnation.
But still, I was inevitably drawn to read just a few pages more and then a few more.
Is he irredeemable? No. Does he always make sense? No, but even when you start wondering “did I miss something- how did we get on this subject?” Cory brings the story around to where it once again connects and flows and you finally see “oh, that makes so much sense.”
There is plenty of woe, but a lot of heartfelt and hard won truths and plenty of wisdom within these pages if you are willing to stick with the journey to its conclusion. It is certainly something I will think about for awhile, and I love that in a good story.
Would he and I ever have been friends? Heck no- I am so far removed from his scene that our paths would never cross, and I prefer it that way. In the one-on-one it’s all about what you experience with that other person, but here the curtains are pulled back and we get to know who he truly is deep down.
Far from perfect, but then (if we’re being honest with ourselves) so are we all.
I was drawn to the book as soon as I saw the word “Everest” and immediately asked if I could review it. It certainly did not disappoint.
First of all I have never subscribed to National Geographic, but used plenty of their articles as references during my school days in the pre-internet years in 1970s and 80s. They were always the magazines I reached for in waiting rooms, but I never knowingly came across any articles or photos of Cory’s before. In fact, I thought this was someone completely different’s story when all I knew was it included Everest and an avalanche.
At first I did not like the author- his writing voice was certainly poetic (that part I liked) but he was too focused on letting us know up front that things were not in his control and he wasn’t to blame. He made horrible mistakes and was the kind of acting out and tantrum throwing teen we often thank our lucky stars we hadn’t been “blessed” with.
Even as an adult this man seemed to always find something to complain about- he seemed to love climbing and his job through National Geographic seems like it would have been a match made in Heaven, but in the midst of these “adventures” he’s screaming on the inside how much he doesn’t want to be there!
Then why stay?
As someone who grows from a child frantically wanting to be seen to a man whose only focus is on himself, I would think “why am I still reading this?” but something in the way Cory writes kept me turning the page for more.
And plenty more there was- extreme climbing (both the successes and failures) or the way he kept going off the beaten track to try and see what all was really out there- to step into someone else’s small world and leave his behind for a brief moment). Heartbreaks, and struggling for connection even as he burned bridges between anyone who really cared.
Struggling with what it means to be bipolar and trying to just feel- whether through work, drugs, drinking, infidelity or trying local healing practices. Cory is open and raw, not sparing himself one bit from the reader’s most-likely condemnation.
But still, I was inevitably drawn to read just a few pages more and then a few more.
Is he irredeemable? No. Does he always make sense? No, but even when you start wondering “did I miss something- how did we get on this subject?” Cory brings the story around to where it once again connects and flows and you finally see “oh, that makes so much sense.”
There is plenty of woe, but a lot of heartfelt and hard won truths and plenty of wisdom within these pages if you are willing to stick with the journey to its conclusion. It is certainly something I will think about for awhile, and I love that in a good story.
Would he and I ever have been friends? Heck no- I am so far removed from his scene that our paths would never cross, and I prefer it that way. In the one-on-one it’s all about what you experience with that other person, but here the curtains are pulled back and we get to know who he truly is deep down.
Far from perfect, but then (if we’re being honest with ourselves) so are we all.
July 22, 2024
I loved so much about this book…he tackles a lot of complex topics with nuance and beauty and the writing is simply spectacular. This book is an excellent example of why we should embrace neurodiversity…I learned so much and enjoyed every minute of my learning.
December 16, 2024
While I wasn't familiar with him before reading his memoir, Cory Richards has done some pretty incredible things. Between the intricate preparation, training, experience, and building connections, he's spent most of his adult life taking grueling treks to colossal natural sights. He's climbed a truly impressive amount of mountains in conditions even seasoned outdoorsman would shy away from. He learned how to approach landscape photography from incredibly talented photographers, landing a long term job with National Geographic. He's made films. He's gone viral online for sharing these journeys and being open about the importance of talking about mental health and receiving treatment. And now 'he's written a book' can be added to this list.
Cory Richards has also done some not so great things. Some of this is alluded to on the cover blurb: family struggles, living with bipolar disorder, grappling with trauma resulted from being in a near-fatal avalanche. I imagine this is what many people find interesting about the book, especially if you aren't familiar with Richards. Climbing Everest is unfathomable (for most of us), but struggling with your mental health while pushing to do something that feels herculean is on plenty of bingo cards.
The blurb leaves out a detail that I think is pretty important to know heading in: Richards and National Geographic parted ways after they launched an inquiry into his behavior following a female coworker's sexual assault allegations. Allegations that Richards substantiated. I did not like being surprised that I was reading an abuser manifesto after I had invested 300+ pages worth of time.
For what it's worth, Richards is fairly candid about what happened (from his perspective)—including having a lousy reaction to it in the moment and trying to come around to understand why what he did was wrong (note: horrible sentence to have to type rn). It's unclear if this came from a place of personal growth or wanting to not get into a deeper hole after losing a dream gig (and blowing up another opportunity with a lot of time and money invested). This period of uncertainty led him to want to share his story. Well, that, and an ex girlfriend giving him a journal.
Whether the push to frame this as a meditative reflection on a challenging but daring life (and leave out all the unseemly assault stuff) was on Richards or the editor, it left The Color of Everything feeling like a disingenuous production. This is a lengthy book written in very simple prose that's peppered with quotes and cliches. The narrative affect felt flat, even when Richards found himself at the peak of virtually untouched mountains. Speaking out about mental health is a good thing, but in this case, the supplemental material didn't add the color we were promised.
Cory Richards has also done some not so great things. Some of this is alluded to on the cover blurb: family struggles, living with bipolar disorder, grappling with trauma resulted from being in a near-fatal avalanche. I imagine this is what many people find interesting about the book, especially if you aren't familiar with Richards. Climbing Everest is unfathomable (for most of us), but struggling with your mental health while pushing to do something that feels herculean is on plenty of bingo cards.
The blurb leaves out a detail that I think is pretty important to know heading in: Richards and National Geographic parted ways after they launched an inquiry into his behavior following a female coworker's sexual assault allegations. Allegations that Richards substantiated. I did not like being surprised that I was reading an abuser manifesto after I had invested 300+ pages worth of time.
For what it's worth, Richards is fairly candid about what happened (from his perspective)—including having a lousy reaction to it in the moment and trying to come around to understand why what he did was wrong (note: horrible sentence to have to type rn). It's unclear if this came from a place of personal growth or wanting to not get into a deeper hole after losing a dream gig (and blowing up another opportunity with a lot of time and money invested). This period of uncertainty led him to want to share his story. Well, that, and an ex girlfriend giving him a journal.
Whether the push to frame this as a meditative reflection on a challenging but daring life (and leave out all the unseemly assault stuff) was on Richards or the editor, it left The Color of Everything feeling like a disingenuous production. This is a lengthy book written in very simple prose that's peppered with quotes and cliches. The narrative affect felt flat, even when Richards found himself at the peak of virtually untouched mountains. Speaking out about mental health is a good thing, but in this case, the supplemental material didn't add the color we were promised.
January 12, 2025
If this book had ended about right when Cory Richards stopped his work with National Geographic I which is maybe 2/3 of the way through, I’d have given it 5 stars. But the last part of the book is so unforgivably self-obsessed. It’s not that the writing became bad at this point in the book, but the theme of interconnectedness vanishes along with the topics that Richards really is an expert in- photography and mountaineering. From this point on there really is no other topic of interest other than Cory Richards himself, writing about his quest for self-understanding, appearing to do a small amount of research on a variety of topics and coming off as an armchair expert.
It really bothered me that he had described in Mustang, Nepal, the development of a road that had led to more traffic, visitors and looting/buying ancient artifacts. But later in the book, when he takes time to describe how he’s decorated his cool apartment in LA, he includes that he himself has an ancient Buddhist artifact from Mustang. It’s also like how he quotes Bell Hooks and then when describes girlfriends or ex-wife of his past whose only resounding quality described is their sex appeal. (Cory Richards wants you, the reader, to know he dates really hot babes apparently). Don’t lament the stolen artifacts of a vanishing culture, and then buy one for yourself. Don’t promote feminism and then objectify women.
That being said, would recommend this book for insights into bipolar disorder and mental health. Will recommend to readers to lower expectations 2/3 through the book.
It really bothered me that he had described in Mustang, Nepal, the development of a road that had led to more traffic, visitors and looting/buying ancient artifacts. But later in the book, when he takes time to describe how he’s decorated his cool apartment in LA, he includes that he himself has an ancient Buddhist artifact from Mustang. It’s also like how he quotes Bell Hooks and then when describes girlfriends or ex-wife of his past whose only resounding quality described is their sex appeal. (Cory Richards wants you, the reader, to know he dates really hot babes apparently). Don’t lament the stolen artifacts of a vanishing culture, and then buy one for yourself. Don’t promote feminism and then objectify women.
That being said, would recommend this book for insights into bipolar disorder and mental health. Will recommend to readers to lower expectations 2/3 through the book.
stopped-reading-unfinished
August 21, 2024I listened to 12% of this and stopped. It just didn’t pull me in, and I have a big list of other things I want to read, of course.
June 3, 2024
Thank you to @RandomHouse and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #TheColorOfEverything. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
This is a very compelling memoir. Part coming of age, part travel log, all with the undercurrent of living with bipolar disorder. Richards writes honestly about living with mental illness and how it impacts everything - the positive (discovering photography) and the negative (strained relationships, addiction). When he writes about his childhood, you can feel his desperation to understand his racing, raging mind. And when he's climbing and taking pictures, you sense the calm it brings him. Richards owns his mistakes and he doesn't gloss over the messy parts and it's an enlightening read.
I wasn't familiar with Cory's work when I got this ARC, but I'm certainly going to check out his photography and documentary.
This is a very compelling memoir. Part coming of age, part travel log, all with the undercurrent of living with bipolar disorder. Richards writes honestly about living with mental illness and how it impacts everything - the positive (discovering photography) and the negative (strained relationships, addiction). When he writes about his childhood, you can feel his desperation to understand his racing, raging mind. And when he's climbing and taking pictures, you sense the calm it brings him. Richards owns his mistakes and he doesn't gloss over the messy parts and it's an enlightening read.
I wasn't familiar with Cory's work when I got this ARC, but I'm certainly going to check out his photography and documentary.
March 9, 2025
A National Geographic photographer articulately writes about his mental health journey like I've never read before.
January 11, 2025
I'm not sure why this book came together so well for me. Perhaps it was the glimpse behind the scenes of big mountain expeditions and what's happening on the other side of the camera, or Cory Richards' raw honesty and gift for story-telling, that made this memoir so compelling. I found the philosophizing at the end drawn-out, but he earned the airtime with the rest of the book.
"Grief can be an astonishingly beautiful response to loss and the pain of it can stir a renewed appreciation for life. It makes food taste better and feeling feel deeper and colors brighter. It amplifies love. Loss can imbue us with such profound gratitude for what we have, and I will always marvel that the void of death can be what makes us feel most alive."
"Grief can be an astonishingly beautiful response to loss and the pain of it can stir a renewed appreciation for life. It makes food taste better and feeling feel deeper and colors brighter. It amplifies love. Loss can imbue us with such profound gratitude for what we have, and I will always marvel that the void of death can be what makes us feel most alive."
November 6, 2024
Wow. Just wow.
If you’re like me, you probably didn’t know who Cory Richards was by name. However, you probably actually do know who Cory Richards is.
He’s a photographer known for his work with National Geographic and mountain climbing. He holds climbing records worldwide. He is the subject and the artist of the famous photo that took the cover of National Geographic after he snapped a picture of himself after surviving an avalanche.
This book was full of mountain climbing gibberish I usually would have gotten bored with quickly. But, it was so much more than that. This book isn’t about mountain climbing or photographing. This book is about mental health awareness. This book is about his life with PTSD and BPD, and how he still was able to do something with his life. He wasn’t just climbing LITERAL mountains, he was climbing the metaphorical mountains he came across with living with these mental health disorders.
3/4 of the way through, I started sobbing and couldn’t stop until the book was over. Then, I sat staring at the wall for 20 minutes, processing. This is the type of book I recommend to everyone who will hear it.
**To be very transparent, it does take a bit to get into his writing style, and he can be very wordy. However, I truly believe this contributes to my deep connection by the end of the book. You feel like you're listening to a friend tell you a story by the end. Like you truly are connected to him and his story.
If you’re like me, you probably didn’t know who Cory Richards was by name. However, you probably actually do know who Cory Richards is.
He’s a photographer known for his work with National Geographic and mountain climbing. He holds climbing records worldwide. He is the subject and the artist of the famous photo that took the cover of National Geographic after he snapped a picture of himself after surviving an avalanche.
This book was full of mountain climbing gibberish I usually would have gotten bored with quickly. But, it was so much more than that. This book isn’t about mountain climbing or photographing. This book is about mental health awareness. This book is about his life with PTSD and BPD, and how he still was able to do something with his life. He wasn’t just climbing LITERAL mountains, he was climbing the metaphorical mountains he came across with living with these mental health disorders.
3/4 of the way through, I started sobbing and couldn’t stop until the book was over. Then, I sat staring at the wall for 20 minutes, processing. This is the type of book I recommend to everyone who will hear it.
**To be very transparent, it does take a bit to get into his writing style, and he can be very wordy. However, I truly believe this contributes to my deep connection by the end of the book. You feel like you're listening to a friend tell you a story by the end. Like you truly are connected to him and his story.
March 21, 2024
I wanted to read this book, because I was curious how someone ends up being a National Geographic photographer and mountain climber. I learned all of that and so much more by reading Cory Richards' story. I was instantly sucked in, by the opening story of the avalanche, and the photograph he took in the immediate aftermath. As a father/brother/human being I was captivated by Cory's story. At times I felt like the narrative was a little scattershot, but each time Cory would bring it back to the point he was trying to make. I have mixed feelings about some of the choices Cory has made in his life, but totally appreciate how open, candid and honest he was throughout the book about those choices. I also appreciate how open and honest he was about his mental health. I learned a lot about diagnosis, treatment and the ongoing daily struggle it involves, and how it affects not only Cory, but all his friends and family. Really, truly enjoyed reading Cory's book, and how it was a love letter to his Dad. I totally agree with him that you can never tell the people that matter too many times how much you love them. Will absolutely recommend this book to my friends and family.
August 2, 2024
Expected to like this book much more than I did after it was so highly recommended. Having read many alpine climbing and expedition books,, this one left me cold. I didn’t take to the authors writing style; not great. While there are moments of enlightenment in dealing with mental illness, overall, I found the text to be hubristic and self-aggrandizing. Considering it began with a bragging recounting of surviving an avalanche, I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised. Can’t recommend.
April 10, 2024
The Color of Everything By Cory Richards
Overall Grade: A
Writing: A
Details and explanations: A
Coverage of the main topic: A
Best Aspect: A wonderful memoir full of so many interesting stories and wonderful insight on life. Very insightful and full of emotion.
Worst Aspect: Descriptions are so good you may feel like you are climbing a cold mountain.
Overall Grade: A
Writing: A
Details and explanations: A
Coverage of the main topic: A
Best Aspect: A wonderful memoir full of so many interesting stories and wonderful insight on life. Very insightful and full of emotion.
Worst Aspect: Descriptions are so good you may feel like you are climbing a cold mountain.
March 15, 2024
There was little I liked about this book. I declined to review it for Netgalley.
August 19, 2024
I will not get into the plot since you can read that in any book cover or search engine. I will write about what I thought about the book, and no, nobody gave me an advance copy in exchange for a review, and no, I don't get any benefit by anyone related to the book. The benefit to me is the entertainment and pleasure that a well written book gives. I actually find the reviews of those who get a benefit (even just a book for free) in order to provide a review.
So this is how I got to hear about the book: I take a walk in the mornings and depending on how much time I have to do it, I find a podcast that fits the time slot. I had 45 minutes and there was an Outside magazine podcast that is about that long if you skip the advertisement. The podcast had two panelists and one of them was Cory Richards (and another endurance athlete - I'll read that book soon as well since it also sounds pretty interesting) and he was talking about his book and his life. Luckily, the public library had a copy of this book.
I am not a climber and I am not interested in climbing at all. I know nothing about the sport either, and I had never read about it. But I know two dear people who love hiking and mountain climbing, so I was interested in hearing a bit more about that. Why? What makes them attracted (almost addicted) to it? That was it. I had never heard of the author or his books or his achievements.
I was surprised about how much the book grabbed my attention. I was not sure about what to expect and was pleasantly surprised about what I found. I did not read any reviews on it. I read the flap cover and that was it. I think the book has a very nice flow and ties pretty well together. I do not care for mountain climbing at all, but I admire anybody who has the stamina to do it and who can deal with the weather so, in that sense, I was able to keep quite interested. Richards is not a philosopher. He is not an academic. He is a good communicator and this means he uses simple language. He is very curious, you can tell, and he likes to simplify what he does not understand, after learning a bit about it. He has a bulletpoint type of condensing information. To me, the book ties it all together pretty well, which is not what some reviewers for hire thought. You can tell the author thinks very high and very low of himself and he expresses it very well. But he tries very hard, and succeeds to put a cap to his ego (which you can tell is very very big). And that, to me, is quite impressive. He does not tell the details of some of the stories he presents, and I really liked that too. Some of the reviews I just read actually dislike that, but to me this is one of the strengths of this first book. We don't know more about his ex-girlfriends, we don't know more about his dad's illness. And I am not interested in finding about it. His story telling and the details are just sufficient and perfect to convey his point.
What I wonder though, is if he would still be where he is now, spiritually, if he had not been such an achiever. Would he still settle for "today" and breathing? I'm saying it from a point of view that reflects my life. I feel inadequate most of the time because my family and friends are just overachievers and wonderful and certainly way above my life story. I know they are not perfect but
I have the utmost respect and admiration and love for them. I am not an achiever. Yet I am comfortable with that. Does it make me mediocre? I really don't care what others think because I mean well with most of my actions, but I would love to know how the author would feel. Would he feel he has a story to tell? Would he make it fiction to convey his point? A moot point, since he is an accomplished professional climber and photographer. I don't think he is respected for this, but I do think he should be respected for telling his story. This is just a question: he has been to the top of the Everest, many times. Would he find the same fulfillment brooming sand if he was just your average Joe?
On another note, he also gave me some insight into the challenges that people with mental illness face. I am so sorry if I have been ignorant about it in the past. It has given me at least the purpose to be more vigilant about what others may be going through when they make me feel inconveniences, insulted, or simply bothered with their behaviour. It may not be them willing to do it. It may just be the way their brains work.
The part I did not like much was how he dealt with the subject on the people who die in the mountains. Yes, in one case he helped retrieve somebody's body and give it a resting place. But something felt wrong to read about it the way it was presented. I cannot pinpoint exactly why. Perhaps I felt it was too cold. Too insensitive.
However, all in all, I would recommend this book to pretty much anybody. Light, interesting, and a good reminder about the purpose of life. I am very happy that Richards wrote this book.
So this is how I got to hear about the book: I take a walk in the mornings and depending on how much time I have to do it, I find a podcast that fits the time slot. I had 45 minutes and there was an Outside magazine podcast that is about that long if you skip the advertisement. The podcast had two panelists and one of them was Cory Richards (and another endurance athlete - I'll read that book soon as well since it also sounds pretty interesting) and he was talking about his book and his life. Luckily, the public library had a copy of this book.
I am not a climber and I am not interested in climbing at all. I know nothing about the sport either, and I had never read about it. But I know two dear people who love hiking and mountain climbing, so I was interested in hearing a bit more about that. Why? What makes them attracted (almost addicted) to it? That was it. I had never heard of the author or his books or his achievements.
I was surprised about how much the book grabbed my attention. I was not sure about what to expect and was pleasantly surprised about what I found. I did not read any reviews on it. I read the flap cover and that was it. I think the book has a very nice flow and ties pretty well together. I do not care for mountain climbing at all, but I admire anybody who has the stamina to do it and who can deal with the weather so, in that sense, I was able to keep quite interested. Richards is not a philosopher. He is not an academic. He is a good communicator and this means he uses simple language. He is very curious, you can tell, and he likes to simplify what he does not understand, after learning a bit about it. He has a bulletpoint type of condensing information. To me, the book ties it all together pretty well, which is not what some reviewers for hire thought. You can tell the author thinks very high and very low of himself and he expresses it very well. But he tries very hard, and succeeds to put a cap to his ego (which you can tell is very very big). And that, to me, is quite impressive. He does not tell the details of some of the stories he presents, and I really liked that too. Some of the reviews I just read actually dislike that, but to me this is one of the strengths of this first book. We don't know more about his ex-girlfriends, we don't know more about his dad's illness. And I am not interested in finding about it. His story telling and the details are just sufficient and perfect to convey his point.
What I wonder though, is if he would still be where he is now, spiritually, if he had not been such an achiever. Would he still settle for "today" and breathing? I'm saying it from a point of view that reflects my life. I feel inadequate most of the time because my family and friends are just overachievers and wonderful and certainly way above my life story. I know they are not perfect but
I have the utmost respect and admiration and love for them. I am not an achiever. Yet I am comfortable with that. Does it make me mediocre? I really don't care what others think because I mean well with most of my actions, but I would love to know how the author would feel. Would he feel he has a story to tell? Would he make it fiction to convey his point? A moot point, since he is an accomplished professional climber and photographer. I don't think he is respected for this, but I do think he should be respected for telling his story. This is just a question: he has been to the top of the Everest, many times. Would he find the same fulfillment brooming sand if he was just your average Joe?
On another note, he also gave me some insight into the challenges that people with mental illness face. I am so sorry if I have been ignorant about it in the past. It has given me at least the purpose to be more vigilant about what others may be going through when they make me feel inconveniences, insulted, or simply bothered with their behaviour. It may not be them willing to do it. It may just be the way their brains work.
The part I did not like much was how he dealt with the subject on the people who die in the mountains. Yes, in one case he helped retrieve somebody's body and give it a resting place. But something felt wrong to read about it the way it was presented. I cannot pinpoint exactly why. Perhaps I felt it was too cold. Too insensitive.
However, all in all, I would recommend this book to pretty much anybody. Light, interesting, and a good reminder about the purpose of life. I am very happy that Richards wrote this book.
August 5, 2024
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book was an interesting read of a mix of memoir, travel/adventure and self-help. The author shares his story of how he got from "problem" child and trauma to alpinist and award winning photographer. The writing is good and he takes you on a physical and emotional journey of his life, nature and his love for the outdoors. Later in the story he is diagnosed with a certain condition that informs why certain things happened in his life and also goes on other adventures of self discovery such as meditation, alternative drugs and psychedelics. Yet, the biggest cure is being outdoors, climbing mountains and taking photographs of the life and other lives he was experiencing. The most troubling part of the book is his discussion about sexual harassment that he was accused of and his processing of his part in it. He is brave to add this into his book as I believe most would avoid the topic but his rationalization and defense of that act was pretty much what most men say...very disappointing. This was a small part of the book and I would still recommend it.
Read
April 14, 2025Awhile ago I made a decision not to rate memoirs, because it feels like rating someone’s life. I’m so glad I made that call, bc this would be impossible to rate. There’s about ten lifetimes’ worth of experience in here already and it concludes when he’s about 40. What a RIDE.
I’ve been following Cory Richards here and there since shortly after the famous NG cover, so I knew some of the story already. I’ve always been drawn to his photos; he’s one of the photographers who have light as as much of a subject as a physical object. There are things he shared in the past that didn’t make it into the book, I’m sure for the sake of the narrative (not a criticism; books have to make sense and he’s lived a lot), and a lot in the book that was new to me. The first half of the book is most straightforward and has a sense of impending doom that draws you through. His writing is lyrical and balanced nicely with deadpan humor; some of the extended philosophical musings in the second half I could’ve done without, but I appreciated the reflections on mental health. There’s no one voice or one truth about mental health, because it’s such a varied landscape. As Cory points out, mental health is still poorly understood in general and also in its impact socially. It can be hard to tolerate people whose mental health makes them act inconsistently, and the only way to improve that is better understanding, and the voices of people with mental health issues is the best way to understand.
Cory’s voice is distinctive, and I felt like I could feel him shaping his narrative even as he endeavored to be as transparent as possible - maybe that’s why I could feel it happening. Can’t blame him, he’s talking to the entire world and admitting some hard things.
I’ve been following Cory Richards here and there since shortly after the famous NG cover, so I knew some of the story already. I’ve always been drawn to his photos; he’s one of the photographers who have light as as much of a subject as a physical object. There are things he shared in the past that didn’t make it into the book, I’m sure for the sake of the narrative (not a criticism; books have to make sense and he’s lived a lot), and a lot in the book that was new to me. The first half of the book is most straightforward and has a sense of impending doom that draws you through. His writing is lyrical and balanced nicely with deadpan humor; some of the extended philosophical musings in the second half I could’ve done without, but I appreciated the reflections on mental health. There’s no one voice or one truth about mental health, because it’s such a varied landscape. As Cory points out, mental health is still poorly understood in general and also in its impact socially. It can be hard to tolerate people whose mental health makes them act inconsistently, and the only way to improve that is better understanding, and the voices of people with mental health issues is the best way to understand.
Cory’s voice is distinctive, and I felt like I could feel him shaping his narrative even as he endeavored to be as transparent as possible - maybe that’s why I could feel it happening. Can’t blame him, he’s talking to the entire world and admitting some hard things.
September 7, 2024
This book walked me through a man's mental health journey and how it played into his life with photography. In some ways, I totally related to the author. I could understand his experiences growing up and struggling to fit in, within his family and at school. I understood his struggle with work and lack of motivation to do certain jobs. I even, to some extent, could relate to his interest and sense of adventure when outdoors.
This book certainly kept me focused and interested in what was coming next. I flew through most of it in one day. I'd say the last quarter of the book probably could have been cut off or significantly reduced, but it was still a decent book. I'd still recommend this to others, although I'd say the first half of the book is much more entertaining than the second half.
This book certainly kept me focused and interested in what was coming next. I flew through most of it in one day. I'd say the last quarter of the book probably could have been cut off or significantly reduced, but it was still a decent book. I'd still recommend this to others, although I'd say the first half of the book is much more entertaining than the second half.
July 28, 2024
Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Random House for accepting my request to read and review The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within on NetGalley.
Published: 07/09/24
Stars: 3
My standard three stars on a memoir signify I read your book.
I didn't like the jumps in time. This isn't time travel. I prefer a straight timeline when possible.
I found the profanity just took away from whatever point Richards wanted to make. I didn't connect at all with him or his story.
Three stars because this is his life, not a novel. As a novel I would have DNFd.
Published: 07/09/24
Stars: 3
My standard three stars on a memoir signify I read your book.
I didn't like the jumps in time. This isn't time travel. I prefer a straight timeline when possible.
I found the profanity just took away from whatever point Richards wanted to make. I didn't connect at all with him or his story.
Three stars because this is his life, not a novel. As a novel I would have DNFd.
September 27, 2024
Cory Richard’s book definitely reads like a thriller. I had to put it down a few times from how stressful his actions/choices could be at times. Such an insightful book; I highly recommend anyone with a loved one diagnosed with a bipolar disorder to read this book to gain insight into their “chaotic mind”. Even his writing reflected the chaos within his mind; going back and forth with the storytelling.
It was hopeful in the end, but Cory had to work at finding ways to cope with his mind only after truly coming to grips with the negative impacts from ignoring his condition. He is a gifted storyteller and will take you on a bumpy journey of enlightenment.
It was hopeful in the end, but Cory had to work at finding ways to cope with his mind only after truly coming to grips with the negative impacts from ignoring his condition. He is a gifted storyteller and will take you on a bumpy journey of enlightenment.
October 5, 2024
This is a very complicated book, but I'm glad to have read it. I knew of Cory through his achievements in climbing, but this book isn't about climbing. His grappling with how to de-identify with the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves harkens back to The Power of Now (highly recommend). It's controversial, but transformative. I appreciated how Cory contemplates the role of accountability and ownership over our choices. It's an incredibly raw and vulnerable book.
October 10, 2024
Similar to his photography, Cory has a remarkable ability to capture and vividly share his adventures, emotions and interactions throughout the pages of this memoir. I appreciated the transparency of his non-linear journey to understanding his mental health/himself. There were a few places where his story felt slightly preach-y but overall I enjoyed this book a lot.
March 6, 2025
I read this book five months after losing my best friend in the world. A profoundly impactful journey through the highs and lows of an individual with mental illness, shedding perspective of life’s obstacles in unique circumstance and one’s pursuit to run from them or face them. Insightful, bone chilling, thoughtful…
This quickly tops my list.
This quickly tops my list.
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