If you traveled in time to 500 years in the past or to 500 years in the future, you would be astounded at how much technology and medicine have changed. The geopolitical order would make no sense. The language and dialect may be completely foreign. But you'd notice universal principles guiding behavior--people falling for greed and fear, short-sighted by overconfidence, and persuaded by risk and jealousy, just like they do today. When transported to this unfamiliar world, you'd spend a few minutes watching people behave and say, "Ah. I've seen this before."

In Same as Ever, Morgan Housel offers readers a world historical tour of the behaviors that have played a decisive role in history's big moments, from the invention of the first nuclear weapons to the founding of Amazon, from T.E. Lawrence to Jack Welch. These stories on risk, opportunity, and living a good life teach us the timeless lessons worth paying attention to so we can separate the signal from the noise and optimize our decision-making.

History is filled with surprises no one could have seen coming. But if we learn to see what doesn't change, we can be more confident in our choices, no matter what the future brings.