They have two children each, Jamie and Douglas and Jamie and Chess, who have all long since flown the nest.

Paul has always been fascinated by how the world works.  He was encouraged to read as a child and developed a passion for words which was reinforced by his schooling at the local Grammar School in Aylesbury.  He was fortunate to have the opportunity to read English at Queens’ College, Cambridge which taught him to think critically and to write, amongst other benefits and pleasures.

After university Paul pursued a career in business.  Success depended in large part on an ability to analyse complex issues, and to communicate clearly.

Paul remained an avid reader.  Over time, he found his focus shifting from mainly fiction to history and biography, and eventually to the various disciplines within popular science, such as fundamental physics, evolutionary biology, and the drivers of human behaviour.

The idea for What to Believe When You Don’t came when Paul first contemplated retirement.  When this eventually happened the book became his grand projet.  It draws on more than 10 years of reading around the various topics, followed by five years writing and re-writing the manuscript, digging deeper into many of the issues along the way.

It has been a labour of love, helping Paul to synthesise his own thinking into a single coherent narrative, which may hopefully be of interest and value to others embarked on a similar journey.

Inspired by E.M. Forster’s advice to “only connect”, Paul values meaningful relationships with family and friends above all.  Beyond this, when he isn’t watching football with Gilly, enjoying plays by Shakespeare or Beckett, or hacking round a golf course, he can often be found enjoying nature, walking in the woods with Bruno.

Click Paul’s photo above to visit his YouTube Channel.

Interviews with Paul

Hear Paul talking about his book on the BBC:

Read Paul’s interview with Smart Thinking Books: