Book Bearings
The Four Agreements
- 152 pages · about 3 hours
- First published 1997
- 12 editions
Bookshop.org links may earn us a commission. It supports independent bookstores and costs you nothing.
1 About this book
The Four Agreements is a short self-help book by Don Miguel Ruiz, written with Janet Mills and first published in 1997. Ruiz presents it as based on ancient Toltec teachings. Its central idea is that a person's life is shaped by agreements made with themselves, with other people and with society: beliefs about who they are, how they should behave and what is possible for them. Many of these beliefs, he argues, limit people and cause needless suffering. In their place he proposes four new agreements: be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, and always do your best.
- Philosophy
- Spirituality
- Personal growth and achievement
- Self-help
- Conduct of life
- Life Style
- Character
2 What to expect
A short spiritual self-help book built on four simple rules for living, which the author presents as Toltec teaching. Its argument is that people suffer because of beliefs about themselves they have agreed to without question, and that four new agreements can replace them. The language is simple and the outlook spiritual, not scientific, and it can be read in an afternoon.
Good for readers who want: simple rules for living, spiritual self-help, and a very short read.
3 About Don Miguel Ruiz
Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
4 More by Don Miguel Ruiz
5 Similar books
- The Road to Character by David Brooks
- 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
- Stoic Challenge by William B. Irvine
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichirō Kishimi
- The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim
- The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday