Person
Every book William Costello recommended on podcasts
William Costello appears on Modern Wisdom as a guest discussing topics related to evolutionary psychology, dating dynamics, and modern social trends. Throughout his podcast appearances, he engages with several notable books to illustrate his academic and cultural arguments. Costello recommended Louise Perry's Case Against the Sexual Revolution, praising it as a phenomenal text for its perspective on loveless sex. He also suggested Eli J. Finkel's The All-or-Nothing Marriage to explain how modern spouses face increasing pressure to fulfill multiple roles within a relationship. In addition to direct recommendations, Costello discussed other influential works to ground his analyses. He brought up Aldous Huxley's Brave New World to compare modern singlehood and hedonism to the dystopian society depicted in the novel. To describe his academic journey toward evolutionary psychology, he mentioned David M. Buss's The Evolution of Desire, noting that he currently works in Buss's laboratory. Furthermore, Costello referenced Stephen Jay Gould's The Mismeasure of Man to contrast it with his own work and critique the ways psychological scales are developed in modern psychology. Through these references, Costello bridges academic research and contemporary cultural critique.
Books recommended by William Costello
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Case Against the Sexual Revolution
The Case Against the Sexual Revolution by Louise Perry is a cultural critique examining the long-term psychological and social consequences of modern hedonistic hookup culture and sexual liberation.
Recommended“louise perry's book case against the sexual revolution is phenomenal at this”
Where to get it
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The all-or-nothing marriage
The All-or-Nothing Marriage is a social psychology book by Eli J.
Recommended“there's a really good book um by eli finkel called the all or nothing marriage and it talks about how we put more and more”
Where to get it
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Brave New World
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a classic dystopian science fiction novel that depicts a technologically advanced future society controlled through engineered reproduction, psychological conditioning, and constant superficial pleasure.
Discussed“it's like it's almost like huxley and it's like brave new world have you read that chris yes”
Where to get it
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The Evolution of Desire
The Evolution of Desire by David M.
Discussed“but it led me to discover the evolution of desire by david buss whose lab i'm in right now”
Where to get it
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The Mismeasure of Man
The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould is a well-known critical examination of the history of scientific racism, biological determinism, and the misuse of intelligence testing.
Discussed“Now that title is strategic because there was a famous book called the mismeasure of men by uh Steven Jay Gould who was very critical of evolutionary psychology and evolutionary approaches to human behavior and we think it's the precise opposite that's happening in scale development in psychology now that a a lack of insight into evolutionary psychology and just”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEBATE: Why Do Gen Z Women Hate Men So Much? - #1094 | Modern Wisdom | 2026-05-07 | 1 |
| Are Incels A Threat To Society? - William Costello - #526 | Modern Wisdom | 2022-09-15 | 4 |