Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I am a Norwegian medical doctor, living in Oslo with wife and two teenagers. I have worked 25 years as a general practitioner and have examined 50000 unique patients. I am also a photographer and make several documentaries for TV. I travel a lot and try to make the most out of my life, and share this knowledge with others.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “The Pulse Cure”?
A2. The big challenge is of course the writing process in itself. I started writing 10 years ago and although I this is my fourth book it is still not accustomed to it. Making complex and advanced information such as medical knowledge accessible and interesting for the general public is a really hard process. And the concept of using wearables to track heart rate variability is also a new and foreign concept for most people, including medical professionals.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. That would be so many. I have read approximately 500 books in the last decade, around 10x the curriculum in medical school. Why We Sleep/ Matthew Walker is essential, likewise Brain Energy/ Chris Palmer, Inflamed Mind/Edward Bullmore and Cured/Jeffrey Rediger, to mention just some new and revolutionary books that people interested in health topics should read.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I love traveling and working north of the arctic circle. The remoteness and rough nature, weather and people is so exciting. It is as exotic and adventurous as any of the other 80 countries I have visited.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘The Pulse Cure’?
A5. I was appoached by the publisher, Norways largest, as they became aware of my interest in tracking the heart rate to measure the stress balance. I was initially just interested in improving my own health. My father died of cancer at 73 and I could see how sad he was to not be able to see his grandchildren grow up. I wanted to avoid this destiny and optimize or rather normalize my own health. But of course I wanted to share this also to my readers.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘The Pulse Cure’?
A6. The gathering of information took four years and the writing process itself one year. So a lot of work!
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. They can be bought from any bookstore, but they may not have it in stock. Of course in all online bookstores.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Pulse Cure’?
A8. The book cover was Quercus, the UK publishers idea, I did not have any influence on that. I no longer remember how I found the title. It just seemed natural.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I read constantly, and I take notes to really glue the words into my brain. A writer must read the best books to produce valuable work.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. Those come from Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way, a must read for any creative person; you become a writer through writing. Just start and the words will come.
