How to Escape from Prison: The Remarkable Story of How One Man Defied the Odds

The Remarkable Story of How One Man Defied the Odds At 18, Paul Wood thought he had lost everything. He had committed an act he knew would send him to prison for many years. To a young man like Paul, it might as well have been for the rest of his life. Plunged into a nightmarish world of extreme violence, solitary confinement, gang allegiances, drugs, vindictive wardens and regular stabbings, Paul spent the next 11 years confined in some of New Zealand's toughest jails. Based on an account of his experiences he wrote while still inside, How to Escape from Prison chronicles Paul's road to redemption and a new life as a doctor of psychology, helping others strive to fulfil their potential and develop the resilience to flourish, even in adversity. This is a gripping read about a man who sank to the depths of despair, before scaling the heights of true freedom. 'Paul's transformation is unbelievable. We are sometimes brought up to think a zebra can't change its stripes. Paul Wood's story is proof that anyone can change. It gives you great courage that you can do anything.' - Sir John Kirwan A book on how to break free from prison 'Powerful lessons in personal change and performance' As an 18-year-old, Dr Paul Wood was completely off the rails. He wasn't coping with the impending death of his mother, he was dependent on drugs, and was an unemployed high-school dropout committing crimes to feed his habit. Two days after his mother died he lost control when his then drug dealer attempted to sexually assault him. He spent 11 years in some of New Zealand's toughest prisons. But after a series of remarkable events, including a 'enlightening' encounter with a criminal safe-cracker, Paul became the first person in New Zealand to progress through undergraduate studies to attain a bachelor's and master's degree in prison, and was the first person to begin a doctorate while still incarcerated. In this awe-inspiring book, Dr Paul Wood shares his life of crime, his time behind bars and his pathway to freedom. This is a book about survival, self-control, education, and using adversity to your advantage. It is a book about how to identify your own personal prison, and the five steps to freedom Paul has developed for his programme called What's Your Prison' Through his own experience behind bars, Paul became aware of the fundamental issues people face when trying to create change. He says that 85% of the decisionswe make every day are made while on auto-pilot. You can either arrive at yourdeath-bed on autopilot or you can make conscious changes to your life. His academic study in the fields of human behaviour, development and industrial and organisational psychology led him to establish a way of thinking about who we are as individuals and our capacity to overcome our greatest challenges. Part memoir, part guide on how to escape from prison, this is a incredible, gripping read about a man who reached the depths of overwhelming despair, to the heights of true freedom "A memoir of the author's life, from his troubled childhood and conviction for murder, through a traumatic time in prison to self-education to PhD level, rehabilitation and a new career as a performance coach and facilitator"--Publisher information