Free Will

By: Sam Harris

Narrated by: Sam Harris

Length: 1 hr and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

A belief in free will touches nearly everything that human beings value. It is difficult to think about law, politics, religion, public policy, intimate relationships, morality—as well as feelings of remorse or personal achievement—without first imagining that every person is the true source of his or her thoughts and actions. And yet the facts tell us that free will is an illusion.

In this enlightening book, Sam Harris argues that this truth about the human mind does not undermine morality or diminish the importance of social and political freedom, but it can and should change the way we think about some of the most important questions in life.

©2012 Sam Harris (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Free will is an illusion so convincing that people simply refuse to believe that we don’t have it. In Free Will, Sam Harris combines neuroscience and psychology to lay this illusion to rest at last. Like all of Harris’s books, this one will not only unsettle you but make you think deeply. Read it: you have no choice." (Jerry A. Coyne, Professor of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, and author of Why Evolution Is True)

"In this elegant and provocative book, Sam Harris demonstrates—with great intellectual ferocity and panache—that free will is an inherently flawed and incoherent concept, even in subjective terms. If he is right, the book will radically change the way we view ourselves as human beings." (V. S. Ramachandran, Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition, UCSD, and author of The Tell-Tale Brain)

"Brilliant and witty—and never less than incisive— Free Will shows that Sam Harris can say more in 13,000 words than most people do in 100,000." (Oliver Sacks)

Excellent

Very short, but very compelling and as always with Sam Harris, intellectually coherent. Worth every penny and every second.

another great book by Sam Harris

great book for people wishing to look beneath the veil. i. ultimately you do not have choice either way! ha!

Beautifully balanced

Such a beautifuly balanced argument. Harris' voice is also soothing so pleasurable and never tiring to listen to.

Possible life changing views

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because I think it encourages people to consider a new perspective that they may not have had access to.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The comparisons that are made.

What about Sam Harris’s performance did you like?

At first, I found his speaking style alitle hard to follow, but by the time I reached the second or third chapter, I was accustomed to it and it became clear without having to rewind and re listen.One thing I appreciated was that he wrote the book to be accessible to more people by opting for more common words instead of long, uncommon ones... I only had to pause the book maybe 3 times to look up a word.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

FREE WILL... You may beleive in it, but you may not have a choice.

Any additional comments?

The possible new perspective is well worth the relatively low price of the book.

Short and impactful

I like how Sam quickly hammers out these points and some counter arguments. He goes all the way down the events leaving no room for free will. I also like how it doesn't rely on materialism.

did you like this review or not? Either way you weren't free to decide.

now you want to change your mind or double down? also determined ;)

Life-changing book

As always, Sam Harris was able to explain a very complex and abstract concept in a very simple and clear way. This book has changed the way I perceive and understand life.

fantastic

Sam harris always does a fantastic job expressing complex ideas, In a way that you can easily follow

Well written and read, I was impressed.

I am not one to read this kind of book, but I enjoyed the thought behind this one. Everything we know is in question.

An Exceptionally Well Articulated Argument

This book is more akin to an essay, being less than an hour of actual reading text with an additional half hour of responses to various criticism/misunderstanding of the position Sam holds, along with clarifying concepts about which he had received questions.

The author addresses systematically the major concepts associated with free will, the different philosophical schools of thought on the subject, then proceeds to debunk misconceptions and point out logical fallacies found in the schools that are compatible with free will. Further does he address the cultural architecture around what he perceives as illusion and exposes the detrimental effects of those dynamics, such as the way we treat criminals and individuals with mental conditions.

While I personally have disagreements with the conclusions he arrives from the empirical data of the sciences, that he has done a thorough job researching the topic is readily apparent. You would be very hard pressed to find a more effective argument in favor of Sam's position.

Enjoyed and partially agree

Sam Harris makes the case that we do not have free will, but rather are a product of our biology and surroundings, with biological makeup and the bacteria and other aspects that make up our biom.
In my opinion, there are random events in our lives that expand our ability to evaluate future situations, yet are conditional on our willingness to allow ourselves to change.
However, I also realize that this could be a product of my chemistry having the experiences it has had rather than choice.
To me, this is an exercise in faith.
Do I have faith that choice is real or is simply based on a response to chance.
I’ll flip a coin to decide my final beliefs on this one.