Rating: 
Summary: Short yet powerful
Review: THE FOUR AGREEMENTS (see also Section 11) by don Miguel
Ruiz is a short yet powerful book that contains useful advice
about how to recognize self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and
create needless suffering . . . based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the
agreements seem to be so basic to apply--but in reality they
are much more difficult to implement.Nevertheless, I still find myself thinking about them and how
to relate what they say to my daily life . . . should you want
to join me in the task, consider how you can: BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the
word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power
of your word in the direction of truth and love. DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a
projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are
immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the
victim of endless suffering. DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really
want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid
misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one
agreement, you can completely transform your life. ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST
Your best is going to change from moment to moment, it will be different
when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance,
simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse
and regret. Also, I very much liked this one other passage:
Making assumptions in our relationships is really asking for problems.
Often we make the assumption that our partners know what we
think and that we don't have to say what we want. We assume they
are going to do what we want, because they know us so well. If
they don't do what we assume they should do, we feel so hurt and
say, "You should have known."
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have Book If You Want To Be Free
Review: Don Miguel Ruiz is known as a nagual, or shaman, of the Toltec tradition. The Toltecs were an ancient group of scientists and artists that was formed to explore and preserve the practices and spiritual knowledge of the ancient ones. It is not a religion, but a way of life that embraces spirit and honors all the spiritual masters who have taught on the earth. Toltec wisdom arises from the same essential unity of truth as other sacred esoteric traditions that are found all over the world. The Four Agreements are very simple, but very profound. To embrace and live each of the Four Agreements is to find yourself experiencing personal freedom--possibly as never before. The Four Agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Words
Don't Take Anything Personally
Don't Make Assumptions
Always Do Your Best From the cover of the book: Be Impeccable With Your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. Don't Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering. Don't Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret. This book may be small in size, but it packs a hefty punch in terms of shattering personal illusions and opening up a path to personal freedom. I consider this book a must-have for anyone wanting to become more conscious and wanting freedom from personal stories and agreements that cause suffering.
Rating:
Summary: The Four Agreements
Review: In theory, "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz is a very useful book. I agree with the ideas and hope to live my life by them. I try to. And that is what I believe the author's goal is in writing this book, to at least just try to live by them. I appreciate the philosophy and hope to have it become a part of how I look at the world and life in general. It is a hard philosophy to obtain with one reading though. The author does explain the four agreements very well and why they are important, but I have a hard time applying them to everyday life-at least all at once. I guess in that aspect, I was a little disappointed. I needed some sort of guidance that wasn't there. (I did notice that there is a companion book that should aid in this area.) I think this is a very good book and is worth the time and effort to be read. Another book that I feel will help in finding inner happiness along with "The Four Agreements" is "Ask and You Shall Receive" by Mary Anne Thomas. Her little book has a wealth of information on finding what it is you are looking for and how to obtain it by becoming closer to God. Her short stories that led her to writing this book read honest and as though she understood what I needed to hear to ask for that I am looking for and why. Her exercises and explanations for them were thorough and very helpful. She guided me though each exercise with explanations as to why they were needed and how they worked. I think this is a very good book and would make a great companion book to "The Four Agreements."
Rating:
Summary: Awareness for Profound Personal Freedom and Transformation
Review: This book gripped me like few have ever done before. The AWARENESS that Don Miguel Ruiz brings humanity about our mental "agreements" that we have been taught, and have subsequently attached ourselves to, have been the basis for all human suffering. The gift this book brings us are the simple, yet impeccable manner in which we can break those inner agreements, once we are aware of what they are. To be impeccable with your word, because it carries so much power, both to hurt, and to heal. To not take anything personally, because people do what is coming from their OWN belief system, and truly has nothing to do with us. The big one for me was: "Don't Make Assumptions."
Making assumptions, instead of having the guts to ask questions to gain clarity, has certainly caused much pain for me. I would venture to say I am not alone in this category.
I learned a new way to view "problems" as "agreements" I took on during various stages of my life. Most importantly, I learned to replace those agreements (in whatever way I am the Victim or the Judge) and to make new agreements that suite me, and myself alone, without the need for approval of anyone.
With new agreements, we become FREE to truly love: ourselves, to love all others, and to release judgment and blame.
This is a powerful book that can be read within an hour. I highly recommend it!
From my heart, Barbara Rose, author of Individual Power: Reclaiming Your Core, Your Truth, and Your Life.
Rating:
Summary: very deep spiritual book
Review: this books is truly great, i bought it not expecting much but it really turns your life for the better in many aspects teaching you simple yet useful lessons that we can all use in our life
Rating:
Summary: Never look at things the same again.
Review: During and after this book my life has evolved and continues. I can no longer look at another person and *blame them* for the misery that was/is my life. I will not let another person's *black magic* [negative] words influence me to become angry. I have broken the agreement that says I must absorb what you say. One of the Four Agreements that states this outright is that what anyone else says is never about me. [Don't take ANYTHING personally.] What another person says is the mirror of their own dream, not mine. I have several new agreements today because of this book, rooting them in four. I have learned that when I apply [after understanding why I *should* apply] them my life is in a different universe. My serenity and peace of mind and comfort in dealings in all situations - particularly where malcontent people are concerned, has increased and reached into all areas of my life and I thank Mr. Ruiz' book for this.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing new
Review: I liked this book for its simplicity and organization. The author's message is easy to understand and get across to the reader. Yet the ideas were unoriginal and basically seemed like a rehash of other religious faiths and beliefs. He continually states the same obvious ideas over and over throughout the book, and it gets old quickly. The impression it made on me was short lived. If you're looking for a book to live by and that will give you something to think about I'd highly recommend "Tuesday's With Morrie".
Rating: 
Summary: A little fluffy, but the message is worth extracting
Review: This book was a good, fast read - though I found it slightly too 'new-agey' for my tastes. Nonetheless, the author does a wonderful job of breaking down very elusive principles into very simple, easy to understand steps toward lightening the load of stress, self-doubt and limiting behaviors we all struggle with.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Live in the Present
Review: After reading many many books by several empowering authors such as Deepak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dalai Lama, Marianne Williamson, and Tiffany Snow, that I am still reading, my life has opened up to me in such a compelling and wonderful way. This new book is well written, and thought provoking. There are great transforming authors, who shift the consciousness of humankind in a way never known before. The "Four Agreements" is one of those.
Rating:
Summary: Best selling book with a lasting message
Review: This book is based on 4 simple principles that can't be disputed. I don't think it is necessary to repeat what other reviewers have said about the principles. What I think is worth mentioning, it that I knew that the principles were right, but I didn't do anything to make them a part of my daily life until I read two more books. The first book, Optimal Thinking How to Be Your Best Self totally changed me and my life. It gave me the tool to overcome my self-sabotage and showed me how to be my best and make the most of every situation. The other book, Now Discover Your Strengths, made me aware of my strengths and helped me to focus on them. I recommend all of these books.
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