This book was recommended to me by spiritually-minded people. The four agreements sound vaguely Buddhist and sensible. "Be immaculate with your word" is a lot like "right speech," while "Don't take anything personally" reminds me of the Buddhist idea of non-attachment. Then again, every once in a while the author will go off on a vague tangent about hell or angels and completely lose me. And when he says that telling someone that they look cancerous is enough to give them cancer, then I wonder how much yage went into the making of this book. Does this prove that I have no soul, or that I have a shock-proof bullshit detector? Still, a lot of the advice here could be very helpful, if studiously (and selectively) followed...

I think this is one of the best books for personal transformation I have ever read,succinct and to the point, plus so far (not saying I have anything down pat) but it has worked to make life better. I try to give a copy to friends away every year and I would recommend this to anyone who need a little uplift. It's big on personal responsibility though and seeing things as not personal to you. I highly, Highly advise you to at least read and give this book a chance. ( )

The Four Agreements: a practical guide to personal freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) by Don Miguel Ruiz. The author, from a family of healers and shamans in rural Mexico, chose medical school and a career as a surgeon. A near-fatal accident caused him to rethink his career choice and he eventually returned to the traditional Toltec ways. He serves now as a Toltec nagual, or shaman, and argues that each of us lives a life inextricably tied to our perceptions of the external world, both people and events.

Ruiz's guidance is to make four agreements with ourselves:
1) Be Impeccable with Your Word
2) Don't Take Anything Personally
3) Don't Make Assumptions
4) Always Do Your Best

There is also a chapter titled Breaking Old Agreements addressing ways to break free from our old perceptions, allowing us to develop and live in a new reality.

There were some very good insights in this book. It's a little awkward to read in the beginning because the author assigns quite specific meanings to words that have more general connotations in common use. Once his vocabulary is familiar, the going is much easier. I think a re-reading will be valuable.

Information contained: 4/5
Delivery: 3/5 ( )

I read this one for a Reader's Advisory class. I picked this one for the topic of "self-help/spirituality". I don't remember much about it, but I didn't think it was as hokey as I anticipated... ( )

If you are looking for, or needing, somewhere to focus your thoughts, this is a good idea. If you are feeling off balance or out of focus, this is a good idea.

Like many good ideas, once you've found the next good idea, this one is easily, and possibly unfortunately, forgotten. ( )