DEATH BY COMFORT
Best Seller, multiple award winner
2025 Book Excellence Awards: Winner, Health
2025 Hustle & Heart Book Awards: Winner, Workplace Wellness Book
2024 International Book Awards: Winner, Health, Diet & Exercise
2023 Australian Business Book Awards: Winner, Health and Wellbeing
2023 Goody Business Book Awards: Winner, Health, Diet and Exercise
2024 Nautilus Book Awards; Silver in the Health, Healing and Wellness
2024 Reader’s Favourite Honourable Mention: Non-Fiction, Health, Fitness Genre
2024 National Indie Excellence Awards: Finalist, Well Being, General Top 3
2024 National Indie Excellence Awards: Finalist, Health, General Top 3
2024 International Book Awards: Finalist, Health, General
2023 Goody Business Book Awards: Finalist, Health and Wellness
Death by Comfort
Survive and thrive in the modern world
“I listened to the audio version of death by comfort during my 15km cycling commutes to work. Guided by Paul's alluring accent, could I effortlessly have engaged with the book, which provided me with many ‘lightbulb’ moments. During this time, I became more motivated to cycle to work, for one… I looked forward to listening to more of this book and two I could promote my own healthier behaviours by exercising. It gave a window in my day to increase my knowledge but also reflect on myself and this modern world. Additionally, I really appreciated the dissection of the scientific papers, evidence-based research, philosophy and psychology, as I am dyslexic and experience reading/text as very strenuous activity. So, thank you Paul for providing me with an accessible audio experience, that meets my learning preferences, provides me with new knowledge and contributes to my personal and professional growth.” - Laura M
Most of us spend most of our day sitting on our backsides, and more than 50% of our diet is made up of ultra-processed foods that hijack our brains rewards systems while making us overweight and sick.
Exposure to cold and heat caused our ancestors to upregulate critical stress response genes which made us more resilient. Now, our thermoneutral environments are making us soft.
We used to live in small tribal communities where everyone had a role and purpose. Now we are digitally connected and physically disconnected. Modern humans are the most overweight, depressed, medicated and addicted cohort of adults that has ever lived, yet life has never been so good! Clearly, something is wrong with modern life. We are ancient genes in a modern world, and it s not going well.
Backed by powerful research on neuroscience, anthropology and nutrition, Death by Comfort is a fascinating read that explores exactly what’s wrong and what we need to do in order to survive and thrive in the modern world.
The Hardiness Effect
GROW FROM STRESS
OPTIMISE HEALTH
LIVE LONGER
CHALLENGE YOUR BODY,
TRAIN YOUR BRAIN, EXTEND YOUR LIFE
Every day, you face a choice that will determine your health, happiness and longevity. Will you choose the path of least resistance—or embrace the challenges that build true strength? In The Hardiness Effect, Dr Paul Taylor, former Royal Navy officer turned psychophysiologist, exposes the hidden dangers of modern comfort culture and provides clear, science-backed strategies for reclaiming your energy, focus and health.
Combining breakthrough neuroscience with ancient wisdom, Dr Taylor shows that stress isn’t the enemy—it’s the catalyst for becoming biologically younger, mentally stronger and more resilient. This is the science of hardiness: the ability to grow through discomfort and turn life’s pressures into progress.
You’ll learn how to:
• rewire your brain to thrive under pressure
• use hormetic stress to reverse cellular ageing
• master the four pillars of psychological resilience
• transform your body into an age-defying machine through strategic exercise and nutrition
• harness light, cold and nature as powerful healing tools.
If you're tired of feeling flat, foggy or stuck in habits that don’t serve you, The Hardiness Effect will help you break free and become your strongest, sharpest, most resilient self.
Dr. Paul Taylor’s Academic
research papers
Effects of Multimodal Physical and Cognitive Fitness Training on Sustaining Mental Health and Job Readiness in a Military Cohort
Building a transdisciplinary expert consensus on the cognitive drivers of performance under pressure: An international multi-panel Delphi study
An app-enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes: The rationale and validation protocol
Physical and cognitive fitness training in the workplace: validating a multimodal intervention in Australian corporate settings
Neurobiological Foundations of Cognitive
Fitness in High-Performance Applications
Effects of Multimodal Physical and Cognitive Fitness Training on Subjective Well-being, Burnout and Resilience in a Military Cohort
Corporate burnout to Hardiness
Corporate burnout to Hardiness
Inspired to live intentionally? Want to be the change in your workplace?