The Color of Everything

A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within

By: Cory Richards

Narrated by: Cory Richards

A renowned climber and National Geographic photographer shares his incredible adventures—and the early trauma that drove him to seek such heights.

“An extraordinary memoir of mental illness that reads like a thriller.”—Amy Ellis Nutt, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Becoming Nicole

“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, Richards excavates the roots of his trauma and shares what it took for him to climb out of it.

©2024 Cory Richards (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“An extraordinary memoir of mental illness that reads like a thriller. The Color of Everything is filled with brilliance and bravado, breathless in its pace and breathtaking in its consequences. Richards’s story is ​nothing less than a bullet train into the heart of darkness—and back out again. Readers will be grateful for every one of Richards’s hard-won insights.”—Amy Ellis Nutt, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Becoming Nicole

“In The Color of Everything, Cory Richards, one of the world’s most daring photojournalists, embarks on his ultimate adventure—he explores his danger-filled internal landscape, and does so with bravery, vulnerability, and extraordinary insight, all rendered in gripping, page-turning prose.”—Michael Finkel, best-selling author of The Art Thief and The Stranger in the Woods

“You might recall the look in Cory Richards’s eyes from the selfie he snapped after climbing out of an avalanche in the Himalayas at 26,000 feet, or maybe you remember him from a very public panic attack he suffered on Everest, his name on the front pages of newspapers around the world, or you might know him from his million Instagram followers of his iconic photographs, or you know him as a record-setting, world-class mountaineer. But you might not know that Richards is also a beautiful writer and thinker, with a complicated makeup and an abiding love for life. This book will make you laugh, will make you gasp, and is sure to make you happy in indescribable ways.”—Matthew Klam, author of Who Is Rich? and Sam the Cat and Other Stories

Powerful and personal!

Loved that Cory recorded his own book, words so powerful, and personal ! I didn't expect to fall in love with his story!

Beautiful storytelling

A lovely use of language. The story was beautifully told and made me feel a bit of the chaos which must have existed in the author’s mind. Thank you for sharing the intimate facts and the research and experience, gathered through the years, with us.

A story

Raw and unpolished. A life with contradictions. At times the book felt like an apology. We all make choices in life we are not proud of but I do bow to the author being open as it teaches us all something about being honest. Being human. It is what it is. I also very much liked the reading/voice. Thank you.

Amazing story time of an amazing journey!

Cory is a phenomenal storyteller and kept me into the book from start to finish. One of my favorite books I’ve read in years!

Vulnerable and heartfelt

Cory is beautiful and brave- a natural storyteller. One of the best memoirs I have ever read.

Powerful, impactful, well written and beautifully performed

I knew of Cory Richards’ career as a mountaineer and NG photographer, and I’d heard of “addiction issues”, or was it “mental health issues”….? Richards wrote a viscerally honest book about his life and mental health, the challenges of his childhood and adulthood. He weaves adroitly between various periods and episodes of his life, and the vivid memories they left. It’s a gripping account, and a very well written one at that. Richards is a gifted writer and reader, his intellect is obvious, and the intensity with which he goes through life is palpable. This is a memorable “listen”.

Powerful

I don’t think the bad reviews I read have experienced the mental health issues so well described in every embarrassingly raw detail.

Honesty

This book has an honesty that is missing in the world at large today! Inspiring!

Well written and very authentic

This book is an eloquent, beautiful, authentic and raw portrayal of Cory’s life that leaves even an ADD reader waiting for more! As a highly creative photographer myself, I could relate to so much. As a person with a lowish ACE score i can relate, and someone who recently lost my own father to disease, again I can relate. I appreciate how vulnerable Cory allows himself to be in this book and appreciate all the knowledge incorporated into the story that reads like a National Geographic article. The detailed descriptions are just as a photographer sees everything … not missing a beat.
So much goodness in this book. Thank you and bravo Cory!
- Cary

Raw and Heartbreaking Honesty

What a beautiful narrative about a complicated life. Cory explores his climbing and photography career and reveals very honest struggles with bipolar disorder, marriage, family dynamics and career expectations in a very educated, respectful and poetic way. What a riveting read /listen.