{"title":"John Wood","description":"\u003cp\u003eJohn Wood’s works offer a compelling blend of personal insight and cultural reflection, inviting readers into stories of transformation and purpose. His writing often explores themes of perseverance and innovation, framed within real-life experiences that resonate deeply with those interested in the intersection of business and social change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect engaging memoirs that chart extraordinary journeys, revealing the challenges and triumphs behind significant life decisions. Through vivid storytelling, Wood opens a window into the human spirit’s capacity to impact the world, making his books essential for those drawn to thoughtful biography and cultural narrative.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"leaving-microsoft-to-change-the-world","title":"Leaving Microsoft to Change the World","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLeaving Microsoft to Change the World\u003c\/em\u003e is a captivating memoir by John Wood, tracing his transformative journey from a high-powered executive to a pioneering social entrepreneur. In 1998, Wood was a rising executive at Microsoft, climbing the corporate ladder and achieving considerable success. However, during a life-defining trek through the remote villages of Nepal, Wood encountered schools devoid of books and resources, igniting his fervour to make a difference.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMotivated by the same relentless drive that had propelled him to the top of Microsoft, Wood made the bold decision to leave the lucrative corporate world. He channelled his business expertise and passion into creating Room to Read, an exceptionally effective organisation dedicated to building educational infrastructure in developing countries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis remarkable narrative details how Room to Read, in just over six years, blossomed into a vast network comprising more than 2,000 schools and libraries across Asia and Africa. Wood's account is not merely a recounting of his adventures but a blueprint for leveraging corporate strategies to achieve unparalleled success in the nonprofit sector.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith engaging storytelling, Wood takes readers through his early years at Microsoft, his pivotal decision to switch gears, and the subsequent challenges and triumphs of establishing Room to Read. This book serves as an inspirational example of how one man’s vision and determination can catalyse widespread change and improve countless lives through education and literacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Wood’s journey began with his academic pursuit of an MBA at the Kellogg School of Management. Joining Microsoft in 1991, he rapidly ascended the corporate hierarchy, ultimately becoming the director of business development for China and the surrounding regions. In 1999, he founded Room to Read, redirecting his focus towards promoting literacy and education in the developing world. Today, Wood resides in San Francisco, continuing to inspire through his story and his work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Gardners Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45763059810540,"sku":"9780007237036","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780007237036.jpg?v=1727090261"},{"product_id":"how-i-clawed-my-way-to-the-middle-by-john-wood-9780143794974","title":"How I Clawed My Way to the Middle","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe long awaited autobiography of one of Australia's best loved actors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eYour job is to go out there, grab the audience by the balls, and drag them up on stage with you!\u003c\/em\u003e I was flabbergasted. This I understood. A language that I spoke—had spoken most of my life. It was the best acting note I ever got.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Wood grew up in working-class Melbourne; when he failed out of high school, an employment officer told him, 'You have the mind of an artist and the body of a labourer.' And so John continued to pursue his acting dreams in amateur theatre, sustaining himself by working jobs as a bricklayer, a railway clerk and even in the same abattoir as his father.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen he won a scholarship to NIDA, in Sydney, it moved John into a new and at times baffling world, full of extraordinary characters. It was the start of a decades-long acting career, most famously on shows such as \u003cem\u003eRafferty's Rules\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBlue Heelers\u003c\/em\u003e, where his charm made him beloved in households across the country. His popularity was such that he was nominated for a Gold Logie nine times in a row, finally culminating in a win in 2006.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHow I Clawed My Way to the Middle\u003c\/em\u003e is a beguiling memoir from one of Australia's most cherished actors on both stage and screen. Full of humility, warmth and humour, it tells of the ephemeral nature of theatre, the luminous personalities John encountered along the way, and the perilous reality of life as a professional actor in Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47430865158380,"sku":"9780143794974","price":40.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780143794974.jpg?v=1774558255"},{"product_id":"leaving-microsoft-to-change-the-world-by-john-wood-9780061121081","title":"Leaving Microsoft To Change the World","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Wood discovered his passion, his greatest success, and his life's work not at business school or helping lead Microsoft's charge into Asia in the 1990s but on a soul-searching trip to the Himalayas. He made the difficult decision to walk away from his lucrative career to create Room to Read, a non-profit organisation that promotes education across the developing world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy the end of 2007, the organisation would have established over 5,000 libraries and 400 schools, and awarded long-term scholarships to more than 3,000 girls, giving more than one million children the lifelong gift of education. If you have ever pondered abandoning your desk job for an adventure and an opportunity to give back, Wood's story will inspire you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe offers a vivid, emotional, and absorbing tale of how to take the lessons learned at a hard-charging company like Microsoft and apply them to the world's most pressing social problems, in \u003cem\u003eLeaving Microsoft to Change the World\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47742027366636,"sku":"9780061121081","price":58.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780061121081-leaving-microsoft-to-change-the-world.jpg?v=1781430624"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/john-wood.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}