Robert Bolton

Is free will a reality, or just a popular belief discredited by science? Whether the will is free or not, it can have uncomfortable consequences in either case; but in this book these alternatives are not regarded as evenly balanced. The author is guided, rather, by a conviction that a denial of free will means as well a denial of the intelligence needed for this purpose. He concludes that the possibility of knowing the will to be free is a genuine one, while knowing that it is not free leads to unwelcome paradoxes: who or what pulls our strings to produce this effect? If we can answer that, what caused our answer? No attempt is here made to minimize the impact of natural causes on us; rather, we are given an idea of the self (following the ancient idea of man as a microcosm) that, since it contains realities not directly subject to nature, implies that the essence of consciousness is in a sense above nature and thus can be taken to be the basis on which the free will can be developed such that it can dominate the realm of nature and fate. In pursuit of his goal, Bolton makes much use of ideas from Plato and the ancient philosophers who followed him, and relates his ideas to Kant as well. And what is that goal? It is an intriguingly original idea of how free will can function harmoniously even with forces having no part in it.

While Robert Bolton originally wrote General Directions as a spiritual guide for himself, its publication led to its becoming an instant classic. This book encourages us to abandon our loved sin, hate hypocrisy, exercise self-denial, live the life of faith, form right conceptions of Christianity, guard against worldliness, be warmed with the love of God, treasure reconciliation with God, keep the heart, and meditate on future bliss in order to loosen sin's grip on the soul. Bolton also excels in describing particular Christian duties, such as tending to family, governing the tongue, and managing every action of our lives. Read Bolton's book, be encouraged in your Christian walk, and find out first hand why generations of believers have cherished this sound volume of pastoral advice.

Learning how to actively listen and absorb what a person is saying, thinking, and feeling can set the stage for dramatically improved relationships and increased personal success. Most people retain only a fraction of what they hear, resulting in miscommunications and lost opportunities. In Listen Up or Lose Out, communications expert Robert Bolton highlights the underestimated and under-utilized tool of active listening and explains how it can be used to gather perspectives, bridge differences, and resolve problems. Bolton teaches you key communication skills by:breaking down listening into a set of learnable skills such as avoiding the urge to criticize, question, or advise;focusing on the speaker’s point of view;asking the right questions, in the right order;and learning how to read people’s feelings and reflect them back Listen Up or Lose Out explains how one can become a skilled listener who experiences fewer conflicts, makes better decisions, and discovers opportunities that others might miss. Whether personally or in business, could you benefit from better communication? Give listening a try!