Living Tao Meditations/tao Te Ching [Hardcover]

Stephen F. Kaufman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1998

A martial arts expert and motivational speaker provides a straightforward interpretation of the "Tao Te Ching" which, like the original, is divided into 82 chapters, each relating to the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of life.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing; lst ed edition (May 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804831432
• ISBN-13: 978-0804831437
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,707,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Among the best books on Tao Te Ching, August 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Living Tao Meditations/tao Te Ching (Hardcover)

With so many books out there on this subject, Steve Kaufman's is by far the best. This author has obviously dedicated his life to understanding this material and is very sincere. I feel that this is the definitive book for the westener on this very difficult book to understand. Mr Kaufman has written seveeral books on oriential subjects and they are all fantastic. A must read

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful and passionate but how accurate?, November 23, 1999

By 

Sage Capital (Rye, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Tao Meditations/tao Te Ching (Hardcover)

I enjoyed Kaufman's interpretation of the Tao Te Ching. In spite of the inherent redundancy, the presentation is heartfelt. My primary comment is that I had a nagging question throughout the book as to whether Kaufman was staying close to the original text or whether he was applying wide discretion in discerning the meaning of the original. Since the author deliberately chose to not discuss its historical or literary context, this is not an insignificant point. In sum, is Kaufman simply giving a straightforward presentation, as he understands it, of one of the fundamental documents of Taoist philosophy? Or is he presenting an idiosyncratic personal interpretation of his world view, utilizing the format of this sacred text as his vehicle? Assuming that the author is not fluent in classical Chinese, I believe that it is probably the latter.