Chris Williamson Podcast

This post lists the books mentioned in the episode: Why Has The World Gone Insane? - Douglas Murray. Mentioned Books The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam by Douglas Murray The War on the West by Douglas Murray War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman

This post lists the books mentioned in the episode: The Most Unsolvable Question In Science – Annaka Harris. Mentioned Books Galileo’s Error by Philip Goff The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlinger

This post lists the books mentioned in the episode: How To Find The Love Of Your Life - Ty Tashiro. Mentioned Books The Evolution of Desire Sex at Dawn Get Married Summary of this podcast: The conversation focuses on romantic relationships, emphasizing the importance of choosing partners based on traits that predict long-term satisfaction, such as emotional stability and agreeableness, while cautioning against prioritizing superficial qualities like looks and wealth. Key insights discussed include understanding attachment styles, recognizing red flags (such as high neuroticism or impulsivity), and appreciating the dynamics between passionate and companionate love. Practical advice is provided on avoiding temptation, selecting partners intentionally, and designing a life conducive to enduring relationship success. ...

This post lists the books mentioned in the episode: 23 Lessons For Being Kinder To Yourself - Joe Hudson. 📚 Book Mentions from the Podcast Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence Hardwiring Happiness presents a method to transform positive experiences into lasting happiness by overcoming the brain’s negativity bias. Grounded in neuroscience, the book offers practical tools for developing inner strength, calm, and contentment. Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness In Resilient, Rick Hanson outlines twelve fundamental inner strengths—like courage, gratitude, and mindfulness—that help you bounce back from adversity. It blends neuroscience, positive psychology, and practical wisdom for long-term emotional strength. ...

This post lists the books mentioned in the episode: What Netflix’s “Adolescence” Got Wrong - William Costello. Mentioned Books The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists – Neil Strauss Mate: Become the Man Women Want – Tucker Max and Geoffrey Miller The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene The conversation centers around the controversial Netflix mini-series Adolescence, which dramatizes a fictional case of incel-inspired violence and its societal impact, prompting real-world political responses in the UK. The speakers critique the show’s representation of masculinity, online radicalization, and incel ideology, arguing it oversimplifies complex psychological and cultural dynamics without sufficient research grounding. They also explore broader themes such as male role models, mental health, and modern dating pressures on young men, linking them to both academic research and media portrayals. ...

This post lists the books mentioned in the episode: Why Evolution Favours Beauty Over Survival - Matt Ridley. Mentioned Books The Moral Animal – Robert Wright The Mating Mind – Geoffrey Miller The Evolution of Beauty – Richard Prum Birds, Sex, and Beauty: The Extraordinary Implications of Charles Darwin’s Strangest Idea – Matt Ridley On the Origin of Species – Charles Darwin The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex – Charles Darwin Various Works by Alfred Russel Wallace – Author Page The podcast centers on Darwin’s lesser-known theory of sexual selection, arguing that mate choice—especially by females—drives the evolution of extravagant traits like bright colors, complex songs, and flamboyant displays, particularly in birds. This process, explored through concepts like Fisherian runaway selection and the sexy son hypothesis, highlights how “hotness” can evolve independently from “fitness,” sometimes even at the cost of survival. The conversation also draws parallels to human behavior, suggesting that traits like humor, creativity, and intelligence may have evolved partly through sexual selection as mental equivalents of peacock tails. ...

This post lists the books mentioned in the episode: #922 – Naval Ravikant – 44 Harsh Truths About Human Nature. Mentioned Books The Marshmallow Test by Walter Mischel Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier Weeks by Oliver Burkeman Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Zero to One by Peter Thiel Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand This conversation shows how real happiness and true success can go hand in hand, especially when you follow what genuinely excites you. It encourages tuning out everyone else’s demands, focusing on what truly matters, and learning by actually doing rather than endlessly planning. By staying authentic—steering clear of empty status games and social pressure—you’ll likely find both greater fulfillment and better results. ...

This post lists the books mentioned in the episode: #921 – Catherine Price – How To Defeat Your Social Media Addiction. Mentioned Books How to Break Up with Your Phone – Catherine Price The Power of Fun – Catherine Price The Distracted Mind – Adam Gazzaley & Larry Rosen The Principles of Psychology – William James The Social Dilemma (mentioned as a documentary, not a book) Our phones are stealing our lives—not in big chunks, but in tiny moments that add up to years. Catherine Price argues that the issue isn’t just phone addiction—though that’s real—but rather unconscious, compulsive use that erodes our ability to focus, form memories, connect meaningfully, and feel truly alive. ...

This post lists the books mentioned in the episode: Why Do We Date People That Need Fixing? - Dr John Delony. Mentioned Books Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life – Nir Eyal Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World – Cal Newport Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World – Cal Newport Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age – Sherry Turkle The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains – Nicholas Carr Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business – Neil Postman Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids—and How to Break the Trance – Nicholas Kardaras The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads – Tim Wu Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked – Adam Alter Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment—and Your Life – Jon Kabat-Zinn Dr. John Delony unpacks how modern culture has trained us to talk more and feel less, to intellectualize pain rather than hold space for it. His key insight: “We don’t need more advice. We need more presence.” Healing often happens not through answers, but through silent support and consistent action—being with, not fixing. ...

This post lists the books mentioned in the episode: Why Do Modern Movies Suck So Much? - Critical Drinker. Mentioned Books Red Rising by Pierce Brown The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James Dune by Frank Herbert Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin (forthcoming) A Dream of Spring by George R.R. Martin (forthcoming) The World of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien The Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin Brandon Sanderson’s Works The conversation explores the decline of Hollywood’s creative output, the corporatization and dilution of legacy franchises like James Bond, Star Wars, and Harry Potter, and the cultural consequences of identity politics in entertainment. It critiques the industry’s obsession with nostalgia, lack of original storytelling, and the rising influence of streaming, while forecasting a shift toward video game adaptations and politically neutral content. The episode also touches on notable personalities, comedy’s return, award shows losing relevance, and the difference between artistic vision and commercial compromise. ...