Rating: 
Summary: Powerful punch for such a small book...
Review: Generally speaking, I've never been into "self-help" or "metaphysical" books... I usually find them repeating the same old message throughout hundreds of pages. In my opinion, most self-help books could be cut down to about 50 pages and still leave you with the same message as a 400 page book. The great thing about "The Four Agreements" was the brevity... it can easily be read in a day. And besides being brief, this small book has a unique tone and a unique message - I'm not surprised that it remains a bestseller three years after it was published. The Toltec teachings that don Miguel Ruiz writes about aren't exclusively Toltec - many of them match up to the teachings of other religions and can most certainly be applied to any religious or spiritual path. I highly recommend that this book be read several times to pick up on every pearl of wisdom that Ruiz has to offer. And, after a few readings, you may even begin to realize that the Four Agreements have started working in your life subconsciously... they've slowly worked their way into my life without me even realizing it!
Rating: 
Summary: It;s Not New, Yet It Works!
Review: Don't Take It Personal, All Ways do Your Best, Don't Make Assumptions, Be Impeccable! What simple standards for us to embrace, what an on-target world we can be. The book is simple, a reminder, a bold tool that is a restatement of Ephesians 6:10-17. A GREAT, TRUTHFUL, SIMPLE BOOK!
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Summary: How to Live in Heaven on Earth
Review: Mystics have long asserted that we live our lives in a fog of confusion, and that great freedom lies in store for those who learn to see through the fog and differentiate between fantasy and reality. Author Don Miguel Ruiz presents us with four simple concepts from ancient Toltec wisdom which can free us from illusion in his elegant book, THE FOUR AGREEMENTS: be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, and always do your best. Ruiz explains how the very beliefs we are raised with usually get in our way of being who we truly are, and helps us learn to master our emotions so we may better navigate our way through the twists and turns of our lives. The four agreements illustrate better ways to relate to others with genuine love and compassion, while not sacrificing our integrity to ourselves and our spirit in the process. Deceptively simple to read, this book has sufficient depth and power to inspire us to become the masters of our destiny, courageously living each day to the fullest, free from fear of being judged or victimized. I agree with Ruiz that all who implement these four agreements will live a life of Heaven on Earth... and I am awed that such a small book can deliver so much.
Rating:
Summary: Indispensible little tome
Review: For all the countless Self Help books that abound on the shelves of bookstores both brick and mortar and e-commerce I usually pass on reading them because there seems to be a sameness to the message, a glib tone of enlightenment, that seems like some moments of introspection, if honestly applied, could save the cost of yet another "pathway" map out of despair. This is most assuredly not the case for don Miguel Ruiz' THE FOUR AGREEMENTS. With a gifted economy of words, a grateful sparing of self examples, and a firm grounding in historical data that these ideas come from the ancients, Ruiz moves us comfortably toward a realm of changing our lives so that we take charge of our pursuit of happiness. This is so solidly written, so apparently simple, that only the coldest heart would toss this sacred treasure aside. Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, and Always Do Your Best: there they are - guideposts for not only survival in our chaotic time but waking up to joy every day and taking that joy to the pillow at night. This is not a Power Manual: this is an empowerment book. Read it and begin to live!
Rating: 
Summary: Quick reading philosophical book
Review: The Four Agreements offers a way to change your personal philosophy that promises to open your life to a new way of living. By being impeccable with your word, not taking anything personally, not making assumptions, and always doing your best, the book promises your life of "living hell" will change into a "living heaven." The meat of the book is definitely in the middle. The first part offers background in southern Mexican spiritual culture, educating us about the Toltec, "women and men of knowledge," of which the author is somehow related. Then there is a story of how the Toltec lifted themselves from the living hell that we all occupy and transcended into a better philisophical place. Ruiz discusses the "agreements" we have all made which have domesticated us to be the way that we are. He suggests that if we can break some of these social and cultural agreements, we will free ourselves to be much better people. And abiding by the four agreements is how we break our prior agreements. As an example, a bad agreement might be when a mother tells a little girl, in frustration, that the girl sings badly, and the girl makes a mental agreement to this, and never again sings and develops a fear of public speaking. If the girl can break that mental agreement, she will open herself up, and get over the mental blockages that she has from singing and speaking. In summary, this is a good book, but as with many such self-help / personal psychology books, hard for most of us to implement.
Rating: 
Summary: Just a pretty cover
Review: The cover is the best part of this book as it is lovely. The content is amateurish at best. If you want to know what the four agreements are -- you can read the front inside panel of the book -- and forget the rest!
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Summary: Simplistic Re-Hashing
Review: I was disappointed by the shallowness of The Four Agreements. The book reads a little like a study guide to deeper truths, and seems rehashed to appeal to the simpler audience. Although there are kernels of truth in this book, I was left with a "where's the beef" feeling!
Rating:
Summary: Simple sage advice
Review: As I read this book, I could imagine Mr. Ruiz speaking the words to me in a gentle, thoughtful, fatherly voice. The four agreements listed in the book seem to be simple steps all of us can follow to improve our lives. Even if you just think about not taking things personally, for example, you will have brighter days. This is a quick, easy read.
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Summary: Are self-limiting, fear-based beliefs making you unhappy?
Review: The Four Agreements is brief treatise on how people create their own realities, and what they can do to improve that reality. Ruiz offers a blueprint for treating yourself justly and lovingly without trying to change other people. There is much here that is very good practical advice - especially the suggestions to cultivate some distance from your thoughts and other people's words and to replace old "agreements" with new beliefs about yourself. In fact, there's really nothing mystical or too "out there" in this common-sense book, and I see little, if anything, that would offend most Christians I know. The book is sometimes too obvious and too simplistic to be ultimately satisfying, however. When I read it, I kept thinking that this book embodies some of the worst characteristics of New Age writing. The writing is often stilted and the chapters repetitive. The book would be better had it been edited more tightly.
Rating: 
Summary: I hate to disagree with a Bestseller
Review: I have read many spiritual authors and after reading the reviews of this book I decided to give it a try. The book has a lovely cover and a lovely premise I just found that it did not ring true for me. I ordinarily do not leave reviews but I thought it might be helpful to give a counterpoint to the lavish praise of this book. I found this prescription for happiness not only simplistic but also a denial of the human condition. I don't even think I'd like living in the heaven that Ruiz describes. Some of his ideas are thought provoking, perhaps even disturbing if a person was to take them to heart. Not for everyone.
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