Synopsis The struggle to make sense of the modern world can seem overwhelming without some kind of guidance. In this simple yet deep-reaching book, Don Miguel Ruiz presents a framework through which the reader can create a smoother path through life. Ruiz was raised in Mexico by a shaman grandfather and a curandera (healer) mother, and studied Western medicine before embracing the traditions of his family. He thus brings an understanding of today's challenges to his instruction from the ages-old Toltec wisdom. His teachings in this volume offer the four specific agreements, which can bring honesty and focus to our lives; the explanation of these agreements will place them in a perspective that makes them so natural they're almost intuitive. They will both simplify and enrich the existence of any willing reader with a desire to understand and embrace life's meaningful and important issues.