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Determined

The Science of Life Without Free Will

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Determined

By: Robert M. Sapolsky
Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

One of the world’s greatest scientists of human behaviour, the bestselling author of
Behave, shows that free will does not exist - and sets out the disturbing yet liberating implications of accepting this fact.

What if free will is an illusion? As Robert Sapolsky shows in this masterful account of the science of human behaviour, everything we think and do is caused by the luck of our biology and the influence of our environment, and ultimately both are beyond our control. In a world without free will, we must completely rethink what we mean by choice, responsibility, morality and justice. Sapolsky’s extraordinary book does exactly this, guiding us toward a profoundly fairer, more humane way of living together.

‘A joy to read. It's impossible to recommend this book too highly. Reading it could change your life’ LAURENCE REES

‘Outstanding for its breadth of research, the liveliness of the writing and the depth of humanity it conveys’ Wall Street Journal

‘Moving, absorbing, compassionate' OLIVER BURKEMAN, Observer

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Robert M Sapolsky (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Biology Ethics & Morality Psychology Thought-Provoking Human Brain Mental Health Genetics
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Critic reviews

[A] highly entertaining account of why … we should and must overcome the infuriating conspiracy of mind that insists we are the authors of our actions. Anyone who believes otherwise needs to read it (Philip Ball)
Wonderfully readable ... humorous and warm and humane (Justin Webb)

What listeners say about Determined

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An outstanding book. Everyone should read this.

Excellently written by an incredibly knowledgeable author. This will change how you think about life and those around you.

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Freeing and refreshing

I loved every minute of that book, and it left me hopeful, and calm. Embracing determinism seems scary at first but the new perspective, distance and compassion capabilities it unlocks are worth it.

The science-y stuff gets tough to grasp at times, this book requires full focus. However, the author's ability to synthesize and provide imaginative examples is a pleasant payoff after any detailed experiment description.

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The most profound unimpeachable truth about life

10/10. Brilliantly written! A superb listen! Shatters the magical feel good stories we tell ourselves with the liberating reality of life! Must listen!

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Unserious but passionate and fascinating

Not a serious argument for its premise; it basically tells us that no such argument is needed. This instead is a quick review of the coolest findings in nature (and the lab) that relate to the topic. Repeating: "please see the pdf footnote" every second sentence is unforgivable. But (despite that stubborn choice) there is too much riveting material in here to make me stop listening (though I was tempted a few times).

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This book makes you stop and think

An excellent book that resonates with my own beliefs. It reinforces what I've felt for a long time, that we are not in control and life is one big rollercoaster.

I recommend taking the time to listen to this, even when it gets quite technical.

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One of the most challenging books I have read.

The God Delusion convinced me that a deity is highly improbable. This book changed my view on responsibility.

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An avalanche of information and reflection on one of the ultimate issues.

Worth grinding through a little slightly technical science to get to the argument, the anecdotes, the humour and the humanity.
Chapter 13 is a tour de force and worth the price alone.
I do think he’s rather unfair to philosophers, and singles out some aunt Sallys. Many would agree with every word, and got there earlier by a different route.

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Great thoughtful read

genuinely good read. right mix of scientific current factoids in a interesting and thoughtful story arc. leaves one with quite a few things to ponder.

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A gift to humanity

This book is a gift to humanity and life on our planet. Thank you to the author for bringing such humour, wisdom and compassion to our understanding of our greatest difficulties and successes.

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Footnotes!!!

The constant spoken footnote references pretty much ruin an otherwise interesting text. The issue is nonetheless a vital one.

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