The new observational comedy book
When did this
become normal?
A funny, frustratingly true look at modern life and how we all somehow agreed that this madness was perfectly normal.
The question we're all thinking
Nobody voted for any of this.
It just happened.
- 01
When did parking your car require an account?
- 02
When did calling customer service involve proving to a robot that you're not a robot?
- 03
When did restaurants replace menus with a QR code and a prayer?
- 04
When did every fridge need Wi-Fi and every kettle need an app?
- 05
When did we start having meetings about meetings?
- 06
When did a password need a symbol, a number, a capital letter and a blood sample?
- 07
When did watching television require four subscriptions and a search party?
- 08
When did buying a coffee involve downloading something?
- 09
When did we agree that 'accept all cookies' counted as a decision?
A whole book of exactly this. Asked out loud, for once.
Inside the book
The world has gone mad.
We just didn't notice until
it became normal.
We live in the most advanced, connected and "convenient" age in human history. And yet life somehow feels more complicated, more stressful and more absurd than ever.
When Did This Become Normal? is a sharp, funny and painfully accurate look at modern life and the brilliantly bonkers world we've all somehow learned to accept.
From Wi-Fi fridges and tip screens to AI chatbots, endless passwords and meetings about meetings, this book calls out the everyday madness we've all stopped questioning… and asks the obvious question: when did this become normal?
Because sometimes the only way to make sense of modern life… is to laugh at it.
About the author
Tony Gutierrez
Tony has spent over 30 years in sales, marketing and business, working with brands, companies and consumers across multiple industries.
In that time he has watched technology, advertising, business and modern life evolve… and spiral, creating many of the absurdities covered in this book.
When he's not building businesses, he's usually observing life, shaking his head and wondering, like the rest of us…
When did this become normal?
The series
Book one of many.
The madness isn't slowing down.
New books, new observations and the ongoing question nobody wants to answer. If something out there made you stop and think "hang on, when did this become normal?", it probably belongs in the next one.
Book 2 · Coming late 2026
When Did This Become Normal? Business
A funny, frustratingly true look at modern business and how we all agreed to this madness. Meetings about meetings, jargon, endless approvals and the email that could have been a Slack message.
Book 3 · Coming in 2027
When Did This Become Normal? Spain
A funny, frustratingly true look at life in Spain and how some of us agreed to this madness. Cita previa, the NIE, one missing document and a folder that never stops growing.
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