The Myth of Free Will, Revised & Expanded Edition [Paperback]

Cris Evatt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 11, 2010

Illuminating, uplifting and lighthearted, the third edition of THE MYTH OF FREE WILL expands on the powerful ideas in the first edition by offering 50 more pages of quotes and short essays on free will. The contents are divided into six chapters: 1) "I choose, therefore I have free will." 2) The Myth & Causality 3) The Myth & Morality 4) The Myth & the Brain 5) The Myth & Naturalism 6) The Myth & Me. There is a quiz, eight lessons, illustrations and a glossary. Contributors include Thomas W. Clark, Daniel Wegner, Steven Pinker, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Michael Shermer, Clay Shirky, William B. Provine, Paul Bloom, Antonio Damasio, Francis Crick, Eric Kandel, Robert Sapolsky, Arnell Dowret, Read Montague, Lee M. Silver, Matt Ridley, Ginger Campbell, V.S. Ramachandran, Douglas Hofstadter, Kurt Vonnegut, Tamler Sommers, Mark Twain and Albert Einstein. Author Susan Blackmore contributes a heartfelt foreword, in which she says we can live without free will, and do better, personally, morally and practically. In all, 50 leading thinkers are represented. The book strives to answer the question, Who is saying we don't have free will and what are their credentials? It's mostly an anthology, definitely not a philosophy text. It was written for a mainstream audience, for people who wonder: Do I have free will? If not, why does it feel like I do? And it was written for people who understand that free will is a myth (the choir) and want to share this understanding with friends who might feel disturbed or intimidated by the subject. Finally, THE MYTH OF FREE WILL presents a fresh, quirky, yet profound treatment of an esoteric topic that's destined to become edgy.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

CRIS EVATT is also the author of THE GIVERS AND THE TAKERS and 30 DAYS TO A SIMPLER LIFE.

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Cafe Essays; 2nd edition (August 11, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970818181
• ISBN-13: 978-0970818188
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

CRIS EVATT is the author of four books on "simple living" and three on relationships. Her book THE GIVERS & THE TAKERS analyzes unbalanced behavior in a fresh, quirky and disarmingly simple manner and is radically different from any other book on the market that profiles people's manipulative giver-taker pattern. Her book 30 DAYS TO SIMPLER LIFE is a classic, teeming with unique tips on organizing every room of the house. Cris has dedicated her life to "making a difference," toppling the forces that cause suffering and inequality in the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Self-published "determinism's greatest hits", September 15, 2008

By 

Greg "Saganite" (Brooklyn Park, Mongolia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Myth of Free Will, Revised & Expanded Edition (Paperback)

I wasn't quite prepared for what this book would be like, but I can't say I was disappointed, either. It's breezy, unpretentious, and contains a number of solid quotes and essays that achieve exactly what the author set out to do: create serious doubt about the possibility of human free will. If that sounds depressing or nihilistic, she also makes a brave case that it is not. The fact that the "author" herself has no real qualifications to write such a book (she actually lists her sole qualification as "truth seeker" in the introduction), hardly matters because 90 percent of the book consists of the words of people who ARE experts--philosophers, scientists, cultural icons like Mark Twain and the Buddha. The whole thing can be read in an hour, and among its better features is the way it points the reader to fuller treatments on the key assertions in longer, more scholarly media. It's hard to recommend this quirky book without reservations, because it does suffer from a self-published lack of professionalism and polish, but I actually found that part of its charm. It's like looking at an intelligent, inquisitive person's scrap book on the subject of free will, introduced with wise and accessible language (including a very nice opening essay by Susan Blackmore written specifically for this book).

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Planting a seed of Knowledge, December 29, 2010

By 

J. Gomez "Book Shark" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Myth of Free Will, Revised & Expanded Edition (Paperback)

The Myth of Free Will by Cris Evatt

The Myth of Free Will by Cris Evatt is a collection of brief thought-provoking essays from prominent experts and freethinkers regarding the myth that is free will. This short book is surprisingly lighthearted even uplifting yet profound and was exactly what I was hoping it would be. A succinct book that answers the most important questions about free will. This book is like a seed of knowledge that once planted in your brain leads you to other evolving branches of wisdom. The book is composed of the following six chapters: 1. "I CHOOSE, therefore I have free will.", 2. "The Myth & Casualty, 3. The Myth & Morality, 4. The Myth & the Brain, 5. The Myth & Naturalism, and 6. The Myth & Me.

Positives:
1. A well written book that is accessible to the masses.
2. A fun, witty, and a book that can easily be read in one sitting.
3. Finally, someone who knows how to take a difficult concept like free will and place it in its proper place. So do I have free will?
4. Fascinating tidbits of knowledge throughout.
5. Some of the great minds of our time have contributed to this book. Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, Damasio, Crick, Ridley, Shermer, Pinker, Blackmore, and Wegner to name a few .
6. Some of the best explanations I've read regarding the myth that is Free Will.
7. The book has a way of wetting your appetite for more knowledge. The author does a splendid job of providing further reading material within the context of the book. In fact, I purchased a couple of books as a result of her recommendations.
8. I absolutely love how the author ends each chapter with chapter-appropriate quotes by great minds. Love that!!
9. Prevention as a better tactic over punishment. A great essay.
10. Great science, primarily neuroscience is used to help us rethink the extent of personal control. Compelling arguments substantiated by science!
11. Many interesting and surprisingly uplifting concepts come as a result of eliminating free will. Such as, humans can look forward to a more humane and better life as a result of such knowledge. "Moral responsibility requires no free will."
12. Many great points abound in this book. "In the coming decades, our concept of free will, based as it is now on ignorance of its actual mechanisms, will be destroyed by what we learn about the actual workings of the brain."
13. It's a great book to give someone interested in the topic. The book will also provide new paths to pursue as well.
14. Cris Evatt provides a list of 16 known brain biases ; the building blocks of human nature. Excellent.
15. Naturalism for the masses.
16. Cris Evatt finalizes the book with an interesting first-look at how knowledge of the free will myth has made her a better person. Enlightening and uplifting.

Negatives:
1. I end up wanting more but in a good way!
2. In any book of essays, some will be of more interest to a reader than others.
3. The book is written for the masses so if you are looking for in depth knowledge, just follow the suggestions.
4. I would have liked more links or references of specific studies that help debunk the myths presented in the book.
5. Having to wait for Chris Evatt's next book.I have my "Brain Biases."

In summary, a fantastic fun read about the myth of free will. I can't recommend this book enough. It met and exceeded my expectations. Cris Evatt does exactly what I wished more authors would do: to write a book that is fun to read, interesting topics, great book recommendations, great quotes and profoundly succinct.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Brief essays on determinism, January 6, 2010

By 

RR Reader "Jeff" (TX USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Myth of Free Will, Revised & Expanded Edition (Paperback)

A collect of brief essays - many being only a few paragraphs long - that make the case for determinism (e.g. we have no real free will). I had already accepted that determinism is probably the correct view before reading this book. However, I think the topic is much more nuanced than what was presented in the book's brief, polemic essays. If you're looking for a high-level set of talking points that make the case for determinism and its implications this book may be a good starting point. If you want a more in-depth discussion that presents both sides of the free will/determinism discussion, you should look elsewhere.