The self-help book that got Tom Brady through Deflategate

It’s been an eventful year for New England quarterback Tom Brady. In February, his Patriots won the Super Bowl, and he was named MVP. Three months later, he was suspended for four games by the NFL for his supposed role in Deflategate, the scandal involving alleged football-tampering by his team. (His suspension was overturned by a federal judge last week.)

On Tuesday, Brady told a Boston radio station that he turned to a book he’s read every year for help: Don Miguel Ruiz’s “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom.”

“I read a pretty cool book about nine years ago that is kind of a mantra for my life,” Brady said, according to Boston.com. “One of the mantras in the book is don’t take things personally.”

The 1997 book is the first in a series of “Toltec Wisdom” volumes published by Amber-Allen, a San Rafael-based press specializing in “works of beauty, integrity and inspirational wisdom.” The publisher’s website says there are over 6 million copies of the book in print.

Brady’s wife, Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen, is also a fan of the book. Boston.com notes that Bündchen has cited the book as one of her favorites in interviews with Vanity Fair and Vogue magazines.

“You have this kind of epiphany — I don’t need to sweat the small stuff! Enjoy the journey, not the destination,” Bündchen told Vanity Fair. “Reading things is so important to me — things that can open up your mind. You need to feed your mind.”

So what are the four agreements? According to the book’s publisher, they’re these pieces of advice: “Be impeccable with your word,” “Don’t take anything personally,” “Don’t make assumptions” and “Always do your best.”

Some might find it simplistic, but Brady’s imprimatur might have sent the book, already a perennial bestseller, skyrocketing to the top of Amazon’s rankings. As of Wednesday, it was ranked No. 5 out of all books on the website.

There’s no word yet on whether Brady has given a copy of the book to his friend Donald Trump.