Rating: 
Summary: Spiritual
Review: A good friend lent me his copy to read, he knew that I would find the book interesting. Well, I read it in one day, I couldn't put it down! I then ordered all Don Miguel Ruiz books! This book has touched me in so many ways, I have my own copy and I will always refer to it. I believe spirituality is much deeper than any religion can be. Totally inspirational book...
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I found this book very inspirational and highly recommend it. I agree with some people that it is somewhat overly idealistic but I think that is a minor point. A more practical version of the 4 Aggreements is Regan's The Evolution of a Warrior - another excellent book with themes of personal evolution.
Rating: 
Summary: Skip the first chapter, then it will be okay....
Review: This book overall is good. Completely skip the first chapter; it is very stupid, and adds nothing to the rest of this book. The four agreements presented are common sense and good - and it never hurts though to be reminded of your common sense.
Rating:
Summary: The Four Agreements
Review: My dearest friend,like Don Miquel Ruiz, is also a shaman. It was she who recommended the book to me. I am blessed by the very fact that I was introduced to it. His words are truly magic--white magic. I feel as if I've been re-molded by them. Thank you, Don Miguel.
Rating:
Summary: Words to Live By
Review: OK-I received this book last year from someone who cared deeply for me at the time. I read it briefly then but did not capture its true essence. So, here I am over a year later and I decided to give it another read. What an inspiration it has served me!Maybe now I better understand why it was given to me. Every one of the 4 Agreements has an inspirtional teaching that is so true and real-sensible but seldom applied. It provides excellent guidence on how to better live your life. It is a small book and a quick read but not without touching your soul and allowing you to reach inside and open up to living a better way. I recommend that you keep the book close at hand whenever possible and please read more than once. Although what it has to say may be read in 30 minutes-it packs in teachings of a lifetime. I hope that I am not the only one who can benefit from its teachings-but I know it is a start.
Rating:
Summary: best self-help book I have ever read
Review: I cannot express my gratitude in words for this gift from don Miguel. It is the most useful book I have ever owned. I bought all of don Miguel's books and read them often. They inspire me---and yet they are totally practical books. I've experienced wonders in my life after practicing, practicing, practicing these agreements. Thank you, don Miguel!
Rating:
Summary: Praise for Ruiz!
Review: This is wisdom from the past that will last through the ages! I have recommended this book to all my friends who complain about their lives or conditions, especially those who pay far too much attention about what others think of them. Bravo, Don Miguel!
Other recently read books that I highly recommend: "Decoding Darkness" by Tanzi and Parson
Rating:
Summary: Simple Life Truths Placed in a New Perspective
Review: The author is able to take time tested wisdom and word it in a fashion that is truly thought provoking. The book was chock full of "aha moments" for me. It is written simply and can be completed in one reading. There is so much wisdom there in that small book, I plan to read it again and again until I am able to integrate some of these ideas into my daily living.
Rating: 
Summary: A real disappointment
Review: This book sounded very promising. The four agreements are worthy ideas, but Ruiz does not expand upon them in any concrete or practical way. I was surprised at the generally poor quality of the writing. I was particularly turned off by two things: First, the 23-page introduction is based on the presumption that the socialization of human beings is 100% bad. I think that basic courtesy, which does not require the complete sacrifice of the self, is a good thing! Second, in the eighth paragraph of chapter 2 (The First Agreement), the author attempts to make the case that the words we use can actually cast spells on other people. He writes, "We cast spells all the time with our opinions. An example: I see a friend and give him an opinion that just popped into my mind. I say, 'Hmmm! I see that kind of color in your face in people who are going to get cancer.' If he listens to the word, and if he agrees, he will have cancer in less than one year. That is the power of the word." Ruiz offers nothing further to support what seemed to me to be an outrageous assertion. He lost me right there.
Rating:
Summary: No Hocus Pocus.
Review: So many "self-help" books are pure rhetorical tripe. Common sense, good manners, and sensible actions regurgitated. In "The Four Agreements," Ruiz does not break new ground but the simplistic and thoughtful nature of his message make this book a winner. Let's face it, experience and iteration (practice) will propel one toward their stated goals with certainty. To point, the four agreements, as simple as they may be, are tantamount to successful achievement of personal and/or professional goals: 1) Be impeccable with your word - keep your word or your reputation will fail.
2) Don't take anything personally - tough act to muster at times but possible (besides, its good for the soul).
3) Don't make assumptions - those who assume will lose the benefit of fact and learning; check your facts--learn what is necessary.
4) Always do your best - this is the most simplistic of the agreements but one that we all have a tendency, at one time or another, to allow to lapse; if you decide to undertake something, make it YOURS! So many people who read books such as this or "Who Moved My Cheese" (self-help genre) attempt to pick apart the conceptual nature of the message whether simple or complex. Certainly, many books of this ilk are not worth the paper they're written on but when you find a message that speaks to your intellectual being as well as your soul, you'd better listen. Riuz's message is poignant; follow these simple rules and create your own happiness. This isn't a "cure-all" book. If you read it without concurrent introspection, then you've done nothing more than read a short book espousing basic vitues. However, if one reads this book with an open mind and the congruous search for excellence, this will be a truly powerful experience. If one does not, then one has lost the message behind the words. Don't read the WORDS, absorb the MESSAGE! Jump in, both feet. You'll not be sorry.
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