This groundbreaking book sheds new scientific light on the age-old question of free will. Humankind evolved to flourish by creating a new kind of society, which required an advanced mind capable of recognizing possibilities and making good choices. No other animal operates amid economic marketplaces, shared moral principles, legal systems, religious and political institutions, and the like. Rather than getting bogged down in philosophical debates, The Science of Free Will surges ahead to explain how this marvelous, newly evolved mental system works. Some actions are freer than others, so how does one recognize and take advantage of this freedom? Key features involve grounding actions in time and pondering multiple possible futures--indeed understanding one's life as a story, in which one's actions link past, present, and future-and conscious thoughts, including logical reasoning, planning, and overriding one's first impulse. Understanding free will in this fashion reveals both the powers and the limits of the human mind.

Roy F. Baumeister is Professor of Psychology at The University of Queensland. He has received several awards for distinguished career contributions. His book Willpower (with John Tierney) was a New York Times bestseller.