He talks a lot about external factors/urges/desires, the origins of which are complex or unknown, but which influence our acts. OK. But, none of those things are evidence that no free will exists. Those things are the inputs upon which free will works. Free will is the function performed in our brains, in response to those stimuli. The presence of stimuli, even a great many stimuli from unknown source, do not nullify the choices made based on those stimuli.
People don't just become pediatric surgeons without making a choice to do embrace urges, or embrace the benefits in face of hard work. We are not slaves to urges. We either embrace them, or reject them. He did not sell me at all with that example at all.
He argues that because there are unexamined lives that occur, then free will does not exist for anyone. But, there are people who live an examined life, and who weigh options, and who change course after agonizing internal and external debate. Just because some people float downstream without paddling does not mean that paddles do not exist.
As I said in my other post, when I was an atheist, I believed it was best to believe in free will, even if free will did not exist. It was best for society, and for other individuals, as that belief would change their actions for the better, and we would all benefit. But isn't that line of reasoning some evidence for free will? If people's decisions change based on whether they decide to believe in free will or decide to disbelieve in free will, doesn't that mean a choice has been made after consideration of the situation then at hand? Kind of funny to say that there is no free will, so choices cannot be made, but that maybe we should decide to teach kids that free will exists, so that they will make good choices when they grow up. That's pretty much what he said. How can he say there is no free will when he gives advice regarding choices?
He says, "Understanding [that there is no free will] shouldn’t...tempt us to [decide to] go off our diets." That seems a crazy thing to say. How could we decide to go off of our diets because we decide that there is no free will...there is no free will to allow such a decision. And, for him to advise us as to whether or not a fact should cause us to decide one way or the other is comical...given that he believes we have no ability to make the decision he advises of us.