Tao Te Ching: A New English Version (Perennial Classics)

The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is a powerful book. This translation renders words for deep thought. There are similarities between the Tao and Jesus Christ. I did reading comparison between this book and The Tao of Christ to understand the similarities. I read another version earlier this year. I prefer this one.

I am a mindfulness meditator and in my humble opinion this is the greatest book ever written.

I had no idea what to expect of this book when It arrived. I turned it over in my hands and it was clearly very short in length, so I decided to just read a few pages while I finished my morning coffee. One and a half hours later I had finished the book entirely, along with my coffee, and I immediately knew upon completion that I would read this book many, many more times in my life. It was a highly profound, dare I say life changing read that dramatically impacted my perspective towards my own happiness and how I interact with others. Written as a collection of very short, almost poem-like chapters, often each occupying less than a single page, this book is a masterfully crafted guide to find real happiness and fulfillment in your life. It is a tome that empowers you, humbles you, and leads you around the pitfalls that so many humans fall into throughout their lives. It is not a modern self help book with life-hacks, habit forming tips, or other such articulations, but rather a fundamental, deep, and moving look at what makes up a fulfilling life. If you are someone who has discovered mindfulness, explores meditation, or ponders philosophy, then this book is, without question, a must-read. And if you are more of a go-getter. A driven entrepreneurial type who is looking more or straightforward advice on building your business, achieving goals and finding ‘success’, then I encourage you more-so than anyone else to pick this book up. It has helped me make difficult business decisions, cut through the unimportant details and roadblocks, optimize my time, and improve my relations with my clients and really everyone else in my life for that matter. It is a book for the true winners, who understand that karma is practical, and that compassion is the path to real success. It is a book that I will cherish for the rest of my life, and I feel indebted to the author and translator for bringing its wisdom into the world.

Very insightful

What I love about this version is what many people do not love - it is not a word-for-word verbatim translation. I feel it is clearly rooted in and manages to retain a spiritual/philosophical truth while staying accessible to readers used to reading English prose and/or contemporary poetry. The translator/author makes a point to call out his translation approach in an author's note and it's worth keeping in mind as you read. It is the first translation I ever read and I still feel more connected to it than any translation I've read since. If you are new to the Tao or if you are looking for a version that is easy to pick up occasionally and revisit, this is a really excellent option. It's also a great option if you want to incorporate reading some text into a yoga or movement meditation practice - the translation has a physicality to it that I have not felt from other versions. I've recommended it to many friends.

I was a first timer reading of the Tao Te Ching and I found it very impactful. I really enjoyed its message and felt a deep connection with many of the passages. As far as the translation, obviously I can't compare to other versions but I have to say I overall enjoyed it. Stephen Mitchell makes things very readable and understandable, I don't know how close or far any of these translations differ from others, but I did not feel there was any odd language or archaic terms or phraseology that made the ideas difficult to understand, all that came through clearly The switching of genders thing is always jolting to me when I am reading something and then I wonder if they are talking about someone else, at least here we got a warning it was coming. In this specific context it was mostly okay because of the universality of the message and I got used to it after a while. However I still felt there were a few parts where the constant changing of genders, combined with the specific other content in a specific verse that I thought kind of made it slightly confusing. Mitchell says "The Chinese language doesn't make this kind of distinction, in English we have to choose" Uhh, really, Stephen Mitchell? How did you forget about the word "they"? I believe a few theys thrown in would have even made a few of the passages more understandable and the gender less distracting. I am a fan of Stephen Mitchell in general and have enjoyed other work of theirs, but I think they could have executed making the message non-gendered/universal a bit better if it really was so important. to do in the first place.

With a current trend of pushy and righteous self-help books out there, this is a refreshing reminder that peace comes from non-striving, not from intense routines.

This a wonderful new translation. Very inspiring

This is the text that for me, captures the very essence of life! Stephen Mitchell has done a tremendous job in his translation. The physical book is a nice, crisp paperback.

One of the most important books everyone should read. I bought it as a present for my son. He didn't get the meaning of the book. I am sure he will, later in life. You have to think while reading!

El libro es excelente, pero la organizacion de los capitulos y la explicacion hace que sea incomodo leerlo. Lo ideal seria que cada capitulo tenga su explicacion inmediatamente despues.

Classic text on spiritually very well translated, a pleasure to read and ponder.

Very interesting