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.

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!

Amazing Book!

It was a powerful healing story that gave me insight and inspiration for my own journey.

Damn.

What a ride—I was engaged deeply throughout the book/his life. Words like “raw” & “wild” come to mind, but it’s also just… human. He’s just saying things out loud that most people don’t.
I teared up several times through the book, especially around his family.

There’s some difficult topics covered in this book, but it’s stuff we need to all be talking about, and hold a mirror up to ourselves to see what we can work on.

Sooooo so so good. I’m stoked he write this book, I’d love to read another one. He did an incredible job reading it, as well.

Thanks, Cory!

The personal tone, the honesty

Incredibly intimate, fascinating and deeply moving. No dull moment, a real listening adventure that touches the mind and heart deeply.

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.