The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery by Ruiz & Ruiz Review

The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery by Don Miguel Ruiz & Don Jose Ruiz published in 2010.

You are going to need motivation to pick it up and read it to begin with.

I know what you’re thinking... What on earth is this? And why would a theatre graduate read such a book? I saw a recommendation for it, and someone said that it was really life changing. So I bought it, and read it, and here are my thoughts on this book:

Briefly the book is about returning to an awareness of the Self, escaping from what you believe to be “truths” and therefore re-establishing your authenticity which you have when you are born.

For example as a toddler/child you will believe what your parents tell you as “truths”, then in school you believe what the teachers say to you is the “truth”, but those “truths” are products of a belief system that extends from generations of religions and political systems. They have been changed and developed over time from what that initial truth was. This may sound very anarchist driven but the book is more about you reflecting on yourself, rather than looking at the demographic of society, or having any ulterior motive.  

It reminds you of valuable life lessons that are very easily forgot nowadays.

Don’t get it? Don’t worry I didn’t either at first! I really struggled reading this book as it’s written in continuous prose and like most philosophical books it holds long, long trails of thought that if you’re not totally engaging with, you miss the original point it was making.

*Tip for difficult books: Get a pencil and start to underline things within the book that you think are important, or things that you don’t understand, so that as you read on you can refer back to the stuff that you didn’t get, and check whether you now understand it.*

The Fifth Agreement is what I would describe as an interesting read. It has some great messages such as “be impeccable with your word” and “always do your best”. It also teaches you “not to take anything personally”, to “be sceptical but always listen”, and “not to make assumptions”. All of these qualities make up what Ruiz & Ruiz call the five agreements.

I wouldn’t personally describe this book as life changing for me, as I think my time as a Brownie and a Girl Guide pretty much taught me most of those qualities… However I think it does make you aware of the the power you possess, and it reminds you of valuable life lessons that are very easily forgot nowadays.

The Breakdown:

Genre: Self-help/Non-fiction

Writing style: Continuous prose. Long winded but bare with it.

Structure: Split into two parts with chapters all the way through.

Ease of reading: It is a very lofty read. It took me about a month to get through it. I wasn’t reading it every day; mostly because I didn’t have the mental stamina. But every time I read it I had my pencil at the ready.

Design: Cover was really warmly designed with plants on the front automatically presenting the idea of growth (personal growth). There weren’t any other design elements other than on the chapter numbers which replicated the design on the cover.

Target audience: I think this is a book for people who want a fresh start, or want the skills to improve themselves. I think it is a valuable book for soon-to-be, or new parents to read just as a reminder that it really matters what information you put into your children’s brains.

Cost: $14.00/£10.66

Overall:

I think you have to be a certain type of person to read this book because although this book makes you feel motivated and like you can achieve anything, you are going to need motivation to pick it up and read it to begin with. So you might need a vat of coffee if you want to get through it quickly.
I think I would like to read it again in 10 years time and see what 31 year old me thinks because I would imagine I’d have a very different reaction to it.