Summary of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

by Best Self Audio

Learn how you can apply the main lessons & principles from The Four Agreements in a quick, easy listen!

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom is a self-help book that was first published in 1997 by Amber-Allen publishing in California. Since then, the book has sold over 8.2 million copies in the US and has been translated into 46 languages. It was on the New York Times bestseller list for over a decade but gained popularity after being discussed by Oprah Winfrey and Ellen Degeneres on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2001. While the merit of the books relation to ancient Toltec wisdom is unclear, its basic agreements have been lauded as a veiled take on the foundational beliefs of cognitive behavioral studies. The book’s popularity has led to it being republished in 2010, as well as being sold in multiple formats including an audiobook and online course.

This audio captures the key takeaways found in the original book. All fluff and unnecessary information has been removed to save you hours of time. If you've already read the original, this audio will help you cement the most important lessons. If you haven't, don't worry, here you will find all the practical information that you can apply.

Genres: Self Help, Audiobook, Nonfiction

Audiobook

Published September 24, 2019

Reviews

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a short audio program. I didn't realize it was a summary. However, it's so sparse that I'm not in the least interested in reading the whole book... which leads me to believe that the real book is long and full of a lot of non-essential crap and also that the person summarizing has cut it down so much that they've actually cut out something essential.

[Zakiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick concise and accurate summary of the actual book. Suggest it if you need a refresher.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book “The Four Agreements” was recommended at a recent seminar. I chose to listen to this summary from the library to determine if I wanted to read the full book. While I think there are some valuable psychological ideas here (cognitive dissonance and personal responsibility), the mystical ideas are beyond my interest. Be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best are valuable ideas. However the basis of his views on “human domestication”, “sin is an action against yourself”, and being ruled by “the judge and the victim” to me is a poor foundation. In this review I recognize that this book bothers me primarily because of my foundation of Christianity and the book’s disagreement with my foundation. Also, I rarely comment on the actual audio production but this bothered me… The book was well narrated but the proofer and/or editor did a poor job of catching pickups. There were multiple occasions where lines were repeated.

[January · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz by Best Self Audio
53m narrated by Best Audio

Genre: Nonfiction, Self Improvement, Health & Fitness, Spirituality

Featuring: How The Book Became Popular, Fluff Removed, Read The Original, Toltec, Happiness & Love Through Actions and Cognitive Process of Everyday Life, Smoky Mirrors, Human Domestication, Dreams of the Planet, We Passively Agree, Rejection of Self, The Judge & the Victim, Prevent Gossip, Parasite, Heaven and Hell on Earth, Angel of Death, Prayers

Rating as a movie: PG

Quotes: "Be impeccable with your word"

"Do not take anything personally"

"When someone says something negative about you, it is a reflection on themselves, not a reflection on you. It's important to remember that others live in their dreams and rely on their perceptions, so you cannot assume that their perception of the world aligns with your own. Therefore their beliefs should not affect your own."

"Do not make assumptions"

"Always do your best"

My rating: ⭐️⭐️

My thoughts: I'm not sure if something was missing but this summary made me not want to read the book.

Recommend to others: I don't know.

[Sara Dahaabović · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this summary while working out, and it was really good, with four key ideas:

1- Be Impeccable with Your Word: Speak with honesty and kindness. Words have power; use them wisely. Only speak with integrity and say what you mean. Avoid using words to gossip or hurt others or yourself.

2- Don’t Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What people say and do is a reflection of their reality, not yours. When you're immune to others’ opinions and actions, you won’t suffer as much.

3- Don’t Make Assumptions: Ask, clarify, and communicate to avoid unnecessary drama.

4- Always Do Your Best: Effort matters more than perfection, and your best will vary day to day.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

My library didn't have the actual book, so this is all i could get. It didn't seem like anything special, certainly not to warrant the acclaim the book gets. It's basically believe in yourself and stay true to yourself.

Maybe this summary version was too summarized.

[John Voymas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very high-level summary. I had expected the full book on audio. Much of the context is missing. Like a skeleton with very little meat on the bones. Very disappointing. Seems like Better Self Audio is scamming people by producing this poor quality audio. There are better audio versions.

[Kare Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

I accidentally started this as an audiobook not realizing this was a summary/analysis and not the actual book. I would only recommend this is you’re trying to cram the knowledge for like a psych class or something. Otherwise, definitely read the original first.

[Jocelyn Hall Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve seen lots of these ideas used by modern philosophers. The audio is meh, but Ruiz’ ideas have already been something I’ve tried to incorporate in my life.

[Jovita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed this quick reminder. Makes me want to read the book again.

[Diana Rosales · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure if the summary leaves out too much information or the book is just so-so.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want my self help free from religion. Curious about the original as this is just a summary. Good points. I like the concept of the 4 agreements as a whole.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this audio book as a summary for the 4 agreements. It gives you a good idea on what the book about and if you want to read the full book.

[Dani Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Need to read the actual book. I did not like the narration

[Gary Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice read. Interesting.

[Cami · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is s reminder to me not to read the book. I'm grateful for this summary to see a glimpse of this nonsense.

[Kristen Eimen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idk why I listen to audio books, I can never pay attention.

[Ken Merson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good enough to make me want to read the original.

[Heidi Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just wanted more of this book and this is what I found. Great life lessons.

[Sibylle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess the summary is solid, but the original seems extremely sus to me.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not worth reading, I need to read the real book. It was very short.

[Dayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love and acceptance.

[AMY CUTLER · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mistakenly borrowed The Four Agreements summary as opposed to an unabridged version. Even the summary wasn’t worth it. Despite the intent of inspiring readers to pursue a path of upholding strong character qualities, I found the mere existence of this book incredibly depressing. Are we really such hopeless creatures, that it takes a self help book to compel us to be decent people?