The Anchor

An anchor is the device that holds a floating structure in place, giving it a steady position amid shifting currents. The first anchors were simply rocks tied to boats. Over time people added teeth and more mass, and today large vessels carry several specialized anchors for different conditions. This book uses that image to talk about life.

The author argues that people have always needed an anchor on the water but are slow to see that they need one in life. Most of us act as though we control the current and that our boat can handle any water without help. He says everyone eventually realizes otherwise, perhaps in a quiet hospital room with a heart monitor beeping, while life comes apart, or on recognizing gifts they never earned.

Mike Harvey writes from his own experience. He lived through 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, when many lost their fortunes and some their lives, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Each brought fear, anxiety, and hopelessness, and each arrived without warning. He says he found an anchor for his soul and could not have made it through without it. He expects more uncontrollable events ahead, but he now feels ready to face them.

He tells readers that money, friends, faith, self-created gods, relationships, popularity, business, and athletic ability cannot give lasting stability. His hope is that readers will find the anchor that is already there for them.