As a former police detective, hostage negotiator and international peacekeeper, J. Paul Nadeau spent more than thirty years working with victims and perpetrators and learning from top experts in abuse situations, murder investigations, hostage-takings, terrorist attacks and human behaviour in general. As a survivor of physical and emotional abuse by an alcoholic father, he experienced first-hand the loss of hope and destructive internal dialogue that can immobilize a person as effectively as any prison.

In Take Control of Your Life, Nadeau combines his personal experiences and insights from his many years in the field to help us overcome the self-sabotaging thoughts and attitudes that prevent us from becoming our best selves and achieving our dreams to the fullest.

J. Paul Nadeau is a negotiations expert and business negotiations and conflict resolution keynote speaker. A highly decorated former police officer who had an exemplary career for over thirty years, Nadeau specialized in hostage and crisis negotiations, homicide investigations, interrogations, polygraph testing and counter-terrorism. He was also a peacekeeper in Jordan, heading up an international group of trainers before becoming an advocate and counsellor to the Iraqi cadets, and survived an incursion by terrorists.

He is an admired international keynote speaker and lecturer, specializing in how to successfully negotiate in business and in life and on how to turn conflict into opportunity. He is Canada’s most highly recognized hostage negotiator. He is a regular guest on CNN, CBC’s The National, CBC World News, Global News and CP24 on topics of terrorism and hostage crises and was the closing speaker at Toronto TEDx conference in 2015. Nadeau lives in Toronto. Visit him at JPaulNadeau.com.

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“If you feel you are having your life hijacked by the people and circumstances around you, this book will give you a new awareness of the power you truly have to take back control of your life. A must-read manual for creating the life you want.” — Mark Bowden, co-author of the bestseller Truth and Lies: What People Are Really Thinking

“Take Control of Your Life shows you how to avoid taking yourself hostage and how you can take charge of being the person you want to be. I recommend this to anyone trying to improve themselves and achieve the success in life they seek.” — Gary W. Noesner, Chief, FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit (retired), author of Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Negotiator

“J. Paul Nadeau has risked his life fighting terrorism and successfully negotiating international hostage-takings. His dangerous work has made him a master of human psychology. Take Control of Your Life is like no other self-help book.” — Louis Di Bianco, host of the podcast Change Your Story, Change Your Life

“J. Paul Nadeau has discovered insights into the human experience that we can all learn from. It is impossible to read this book and not feel inspired and driven to take control over your future.” — Stuart Knight, award-winning entrepreneur and keynote speaker

“J. Paul Nadeau provides a compelling road map to a happier, healthier self by unlocking our understanding regarding how we mentally sabotage our own thoughts, and how this sabotage corrupts our beliefs and our actions.” — Jacques Dallaire, president of Performance Prime and author of Performance Thinking

“Nadeau has crafted a handbook full of signposts that help us navigate not
only the world but the roads and roadblocks within, rich with personal and professional experience. Loaded with unexpected turns and surprises, Take Control of Your Life is a great tool with touching stories.” — Yannick Bisson, actor, director and producer of the international hit series Murdoch Mysteries