Toltec Wisdom in The Four Agreements

Oh, the wisdom we've lost over the ages. Don Miguel Ruiz aimed to recapture some of the intrinsic knowledge he was exposed to, but perhaps didn't fully absorb, growing up in rural Mexico.

More about the Toltec civilization can be found in the Ancient History Encyclopedia. 

Ruiz's short book, The Four Agreements, spent several years on the NYT best sellers list. Apparently, a lot of us are searching for simple truths and a little more agreement in our lives.

Instead of following his family's Toltec healing tradition, Ruiz went to medical school and became a surgeon, like several other authors* I enjoy. Coincidence? OK. Or maybe I have a thing for writers influenced by their near-death experiences. Hm.

Is this self-help book worth a read? Well, if you're looking for a headache cure and suspect the answer might lie within your own head, yep. Definitely worth reading.

The Four Agreements are: 

1. Be Impeccable with your Word
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally (Less Spock-like than it sounds)
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
4. Always Do Your Best (Don't worry, no Tiger-mom stuff here. Think Stuart Smalley instead. Your best will vary with your health, mood, energy level - and that's OK.)

My thoughts? If you're looking for answers - or just about anything - you can find it in a book :D

~Diane Stresing

*Michael Creighton, Atul Gawande, Abraham Verghese.

Your Recommendations Should Be Here

This is a shameless plea for guest posts.

I started this blog so long ago I can't remember exactly when, but I remember exactly why: Because there are too many books and too little time, to read books that aren't good for you - whatever that means.


OK, there was another reason, and that was just to keep track of what I read. My memory ain't what it used to be, you know.

Anyway, thanks to a few new developments in this particular chapter of my life, managing my blogs has fallen way, way, way down on my list of priorities. In other words: HELP!

If you've ever wanted to post a book review at a piddly little blog with a great big goal of helping readers find books that they'll enjoy, learn from, and later enthusiastically recommend to others, this is your chance!

Wanna write a guest post/commentary/book review? Contact me in comments here, on the Facebook page devoted to this blog, or on Twitter. Thanks!

~Diane Stresing

Timeless stories ~ Which authors have delivered for you?

C.S. Lewis created worlds and told stories that are as full of wonder and enchantment today as they were 65 years ago. Sixty-five years ago!

Which stories do you find stay fresh and amazing long, long, lonnng after publication? And - for bonus points :) - why?