Book Review- Same as Ever by Morgan Housel

“Same as it's ever been. Same as it will always be. Same as it ever was.”

The world is constantly changing. Morgan Housel's "Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes" stands as a beacon of timeless wisdom and practical advice in an era of constant change and uncertainty. It is the required book for understanding the importance that speed of change does not always mean out-of-world changes because human traits, desires, aspirations for power and quest for control shall and will remain the same as ever.

This book is a small read with 23 chapters. As one can guess, the book iterates excellent stories along with life-long, non-changing facts. Out of these chapters, a few topics hit me hard due to the simplicity with which these not-so-easy facts are laid out, viz. “It's Supposed to be Hard”, “Expectations and Reality”, Wounds Heal, Scars Lasts”, “The Power of Narrative”, and “The Curse of Knowledge”.

The Same as Ever is unique because it focuses on looking backward to help look forward. Housel investigates what trends have always existed throughout history and explains that they'll continue in the future because they're baked into human behavior.
He is a skilled writer and artful storyteller. The anecdotes in this book are full of examples that show that there isn't a rational explanation for the twists and turns our world has taken. The wisdom per page ratio is off the charts.

Conclusion- I love the concept of ‘distilling’ facts down to things that will always be ‘true’. I enjoyed every bit of this book. It made me ponder many choices over the years and what I could do better going forward.

Quotes from the book-

“A carefree and stress-free life sounds wonderful until you recognise the motivation and progress it prevents.”

“The safest way to get what you want is to try to deserve what you want.”

“We might have higher incomes, more wealth, and bigger homes—but it’s all so quickly smothered by inflated expectations.”

“The core here is that people think they want an accurate view of the future, but what they crave is certainty.”

“Everything worthwhile has a price, and the prices aren’t always obvious.”