Determined
The Science of Life Without Free Will
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Determined
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Narrated by:
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Kaleo Griffith
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 AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about Determined
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- R Hamilton
- 09-06-24
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 07-02-24
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Henri
- 25-11-23
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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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kindle Customer
- 05-11-23
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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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- DJP OKeeffe
- 08-02-24
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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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Matthew Wardell
- 22-06-24
Deeply depressing book but insightful
One of the only insights I got from this book was the bumper sticker. Now I just need to buy a load of bumper stickers. It's a pretty depressing book if you ask me insightful but depressing
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 13-05-24
Footnotes Problem
This is a good book well read. BUT it is irritating beyond toleration that every time the reader comes to a footnote (and there are a lot of footnotes) he intones the refrain "Please see the accompanying PDF for a footnote." To make matters even more ridiculous, the accompanying PDF does not contain so much as a single footnote. It is a collection of various graphics. Sadly there is nobody to blame for this crazy mix up because those responsible had no free will.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Robert S Billington
- 05-05-24
Enlightening and compelling
Well worth listening all the way through to hear the authors conclusions rather than jumping to your own.
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- D. Wilson
- 27-12-24
Please see the accompanying pdf for a foot note
Every 5 minutes, it says the same thing. Curiously the pdf does not even include a list of chapters or references list. People have got to get better at audio books.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- j a boult
- 25-11-23
A great read, opens the lid on human behaviour.
Clear narrative and well referenced science. I hope this is the beginning of a new understanding of human behaviour.
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1 person found this helpful