I have read in the past many books and essays on free will, but none have been explained and argued as well as has been done by Ted Honderich in this book. Most people who approach this subject, come with 2 well-known prejudices: (1) we either have free will and are free to choose, OR (2) everything is pre-determined by Fate and therefore freedom is an illusion.
Honderich shows that both the above assumptions are wrong. This is because the term "Freedom" or "Free will" does not have just one meaning. There are two meanings of "Freedom", and because we do not appreciate these 2 different important meanings, we end up arguing endlessly and hopelessly in confusion about the nature of responsibility, choosing, praising, blaming and punishment.
The two meanings of free will can be summarised thus:
(a) that when someone makes a decision, his/her decision was made voluntarily according to his own desires and nature but that ALSO his decision was UNNECESSITATED (or uncaused), OR;
(b) a decision was made voluntarily according to a person's desires and nature.
If you think about this, the above statement number (a) clearly is saying that when we make decisions, nothing causes or necessitates them - there is no causal connection that necessitates anything we decide. Taken to its logical conclusion, this would mean there is no explanation for anything we decide. This contradicts natural science and what modern brain science is telling us that our minds arise from our brains - that mental phenomena is a result of brain activity (which is causal). However, statement (b) is consistent with the idea which we are all familiar i.e. that our actions and choices have explanations and causes.
Having read this book, readers will have a better understanding of what it means to have free will - and the contradictions that supporters of free will get themselves into. Most readers will benefit from reading Honderich's other more extensive book "Mind & Brain" as well.