Mediaboss Marketing

supplied

Dr Paul Wood, who spent over a decade in prison for the murder of his drug dealer, an author, motivational speaker and change manager. He has just released Mental Fitness, which provides practical techniques to flourish through stress and adversity.

At 18, Paul Wood was in prison and his life was completely off the rails. Now, as a doctor of psychology Paul uses his subsequent journey from delinquent to doctor to illustrate the process of transformational change. Here are some insights into the books that have inspired the Wellington author.

Which book do you wish you'd written and why?

7 habits of highly effective people. It takes a number of potentially life challenging ideas and associated practices and communicates them in a very accessible way.

Which book had such an impact on you that you bought it for your friends?

Malcolm Gladwells Outliers: The story of success. This book is a great way to shift mindsets from fixed to growth. In other words, to solidify the idea that success is not about simple talent, but rather a mix of potential, hard-work, dedication, and good fortune!

READ MORE:* How I write: Poet and translator Marco Sonzogni on how language makes a story* How I write: For inspiration CK Stead likes the spirit of Dickens * Lucinda Riley, author of current fiction chart-topper The Missing Sister, has died * How I write: Clare Moleta finds periods of immersion productive

Stuff

Dr Paul Woods latest book Mental Fitness Build your mind for strength and resilience for every day follows on from his 2019 release, How To Escape From Prison.

What books have made you cry?

The Idiot by Dostoevsky made me cry because of Prince Myshkins pureness of heart. I read this while imprisoned and surrounded by examples of the opposite, which can cultivate an outlook of cynicism rather than optimism about the human condition. Yet the most affecting thing I have ever read is the beginning of an unpublished manuscript by a close personal friend on his extensive career working in child homicide for the New Zealand Police. I shed tears while reading this on a plane.

What is your guilty pleasure reading list?

Any of Dean Koontzs thrillers. And Boddy Adairs post-apocalyptic thrillers. So much of my reading is focused on professional upskilling in respect of human behaviour and psychology that its great to just read something I dont have to learn anything from once in a while.

What book do you go back to time and time again to re-read?

Haruki Murakamis Kafka on the Shore. It is easy to go back to something that so sucks you in, yet also leaves you pondering its meaning, and wanting more. It was the first Murakami I read. It prompted me to go back and read everything he has written and make sure I have pre-ordered everything new he puts out.

Which authors would you want in your book club?

Sam Harris, Jordan Peterson, and David Sedaris. Harris is a neuroscientist and one of the so-called new atheists. Peterson is a psychologist and Christian. Both are very smart, opinionated, and controversial, but come from very different perspectives on some fundamentals of life. Sedaris is such a funny and delightfully neurotic author that he would bring an excellent levity and balance to the oh so serious Harris and Peterson.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF

Dr Paul Wood, who spent over a decade in prison for the murder of his drug dealer, an author, motivational speaker and change manager. He has just released Mental Fitness, which provides practical techniques to flourish through stress and adversity.

What book did you read as a child or teen that had a profound effect on you?

I read The Feather Men by Ranulph Fiennes in my late teens. It is a story regarding an SAS operation and the following retaliatory consequences. It was around the time one of my brothers gave me an SAS cap badge, and it may have started to sow seeds regarding the relentless pursuit of excellence that would change my life.

What must read book have you not read?

Prison gave me a lot of time to read the standard classics and must reads. So probably any must read books written in the last decade or so since my release would have been missed!

Continue reading here:
Author talk: Dr Paul Woods on the books that have affected him - Stuff.co.nz