The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

Don Miguel Ruiz

Jul 2011 · Sold by Amber-Allen Publishing

About this ebook

The incredible New York Times and international bestselling guide to true happiness.

“This book by don Miguel Ruiz, simple yet so powerful, has made a tremendous difference in how I think and act in every encounter.”—Oprah Winfrey

In The Four Agreements, a perennial bestseller published in dozens of languages worldwide, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

“Don Miguel Ruiz’s book is a roadmap to enlightenment and freedom.”—Deepak Chopra, Author, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

“An inspiring book with many great lessons.”—Wayne Dyer, Author, Real Magic

“In the tradition of Castaneda, Ruiz distills essential Toltec wisdom, expressing with clarity and impeccability what it means for men and women to live as peaceful warriors in the modern world.”—Dan Millman, Author, Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Ratings and reviews

I'm always interested in learning about others' beliefs, but I don't know what I think of this book. On one hand the writer attempts to change the readers' perspective, which is no small task - and the first chapter is a fire hose of statements that the reader is supposed to accept without question. That's challenging as I don't agree with every statement (i.e., the authors definitions of "faith", "fear", or even "true justice/injustice" or the idea that life is a "surrender" - we test statements our whole life, yes, even as children), making me question if I agree with any of the statements. On the other hand, I agree with the power of 'being impeccable with your word' (i.e., honesty, integrity, charity), that "gossip is poison" (in fact, the section on gossip may be the highlight of the book), I agree that taking things personally can be soul destroying, we shouldn't make assumptions, and that we should always do our best. Overall, an interesting read.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz is often described as life-changing, but I found it surprisingly underwhelming. While the four principles—be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best—are meaningful, they’re presented in a way that feels overly simplistic and repetitive. The writing feels basic, almost like reading the thoughts of an adolescent who’s just discovered these ideas and is eager to share, but without much depth or nuance. It’s not a bad book, but given all the hype, I expected something more profound or thought-provoking. Instead, it left me feeling a bit disappointed and unfulfilled.

I believe the book has a great message. those who have commented on the simplistic writing style, seemed to have missed the point. the author even mentions how the concepts are so basic, that a child could understand them. I also see when he talks about planting seeds, he is repetitive in his writing as he is planting the seed of these 4 agreements. the author was not using his earthly intelligence to compose this writing, this was written from a spiritual intelligence. if you want to expand your knowledge of science, go read a book on quantum mechanics. if you want to expand your spiritual intelligence, read The 4 agreememts!

About the author

Don Miguel Ruiz is the bestselling author of The Four Agreements (a New York Times bestseller for over a decade), The Four Agreements Companion Book, The Mastery of Love, The Voice of Knowledge, The Circle of Fire, and The Fifth Agreement. The teachings of Ruiz are best known for transforming complex human issues into simple common sense — a talent that has earned him millions of fans and international acclaim.

Janet Mills is the founder and president of Amber-Allen Publishing and co-author, with don Miguel Ruiz, of six books in The Toltec Wisdom Series. Mills is also the creator of “The Four Agreements for a Better Life” online course, editor of Deepak Chopra’s bestselling title, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, and publisher of the world-renowned “Seth Books” by Jane Roberts.