The Tao of Womanhood: Ten Lessons for Power and Peace [Hardcover]

Diane Dreher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 1998

This book combines the ancient wisdom of the Tao Te Ching with straightforward advice and illuminating anecdotes that show how the ancient wisdom can be applied in our busy, modern lives. The result is a practical road map for women who want to be at once strong, proactive leaders at work and at home, but who also know they deserve serenity and harmony in their lives. Dreher explains with persuasive clarity how any woman can incorporate calm into her busy life by learning to: respond to change without being frantic or reactive; say no without feeling guilty; seize an opportunity and summon the strength to change; clear the absolutely necessary space for self that allows; continued growth and transformation; and honor her inner wisdom. Chapter by chapter, The Tao of Womanhood explores effective methods for achieving these vital goals, illustrating them with stories from the author's life and the lives of others. Each section presents specific pointers and exercises designed to help you identify and achieve your personal aspirations.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Although Dreher often combines obvious statements with sappy prose, e.g., "As you trace the patterns in these pages, you'll find yourself in some of them," her soothing book will give the reader many good ideas and helpful hints about balancing her life. What sets this book apart from other self-help efforts is the combination of Eastern and Western ideas. An instructor in literature and creative writing at Santa Clara University and author of The Tao of Inner Peace (HarperCollins, 1991), Dreher uses terms from the Tao such as misogi ("rituals of order"), ahisma ("compassion"), yohaku ("contemplation"), and musubi ("honoring your own energies with those around you") to clarify her ideas. She follows each chapter with practical pointers for greater power and peace, ways to take action using the ideas presented. For instance, to develop courage, Dreher suggests that the reader study the life of a woman she admires by reading a biography about her and answering a list of questions. Both informative and encouraging, these pointers are probably the most useful aspect of this book. With a helpful glossary of terms; recommended for public libraries.ABarbara O'Hara, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The Tao te Ching, reputedly by the Chinese sage Lao-tzu, is one of the great spiritual books of all time. Most translations into English use the masculine generic, making it seem as though only males were intended to benefit from its wisdom. Thus one welcome aspect of Dreher's book is the recasting of Taoist thought into language directed at or inclusive of women. Dreher's adaptations are direct and lyrical: "Treasure this knowledge: / The woman of Tao / Wears common clothing / And precious jade / Close to the heart." But she also expands upon the insights provided, fleshing them out with her own grounded, mature philosophy. As a self-help book that affirms women's right (and obligation) to help themselves into greater serenity and agency, this is one of the best and most thoughtful of such books in several years. Patricia Monaghan

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (April 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688151140
• ISBN-13: 978-0688151140
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,888,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Diane Dreher has a Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature from UCLA as well as credentials in spiritual counseling and holistic health. She is Professor of English, Work/life Balance Consultant, and Research Associate at the Spirituality and Health Institute at Santa Clara University. Diane's work has been featured in USA Today, The Dallas Morning News, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, Redbook, Glamour, Working Woman, Entrepreneur, and web sites on leadership, spirituality, and personal growth. Her books offer insights from Eastern and Western philosophy to help readers meet the challenges of contemporary life.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational guide for balancing your life., November 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Tao of Womanhood: Ten Lessons for Power and Peace (Hardcover)

Draws upon the Tao Te Ching and the practice of aikido to illustrate a balanced approach to life. Includes chapters on transforming challenge and conflict into harmony, respecting the natural cycles of life, and overcoming feelings of powerlessness in order to find a more active, powerful approach to life. I've been curious about the martial arts and really enjoyed the parallels the author makes between spiritual growth and aikido. Gave me a new perspective on the issue of balance.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wise and empowering book for everyone, September 16, 2009

By 

Niki Collins-queen, Author "author" (Forsyth, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tao of Womanhood: Ten Lessons for Power and Peace (Paperback)

Lao Tsu's vision of power and wholeness in the "Tao Te Ching" balances the two mighty opposites - the nurturing energy of yin and the assertive energy of yang. Diane Dreher's insightful book "The Tao of Womanhood" combines the wisdom of the "Tao Te Ching" with practical and much needed lessons for modern women. The ten lessons include: the yin of inner peace, the yang of personal power, lessons of oneness, centering, compassion, simplicity, natural cycles, personal power, timing, courage, strength, agency and harmony.
Dreher says about women, "When taken to extremes, our concern with relationships produce overly complaint women who never think for themselves. While caring for others is essential to life, an attitude of perpetual self-sacrifice can become pathological and self-destructive...Instead of exhausting our energies by conforming to limited stereotypes or singlemindedly rebelling against them, trying too hard to be either "feminine" or "strong," we can transcend domination by either extreme." Her stories and exercises help to make our lives more balanced.
I found the following insights especially helpful. Despite good intentions, sometimes our nurturing weakens other people as well as ourselves. Ask yourself, "Are you nurturing people's weaknesses instead of their strength?" If someone keeps coming up with the same problem it's probably not an emergency but sloppy living. Most of the "demands" others make of us aren't really that urgent. There are different kinds of nos and some are more difficult than others. For too many people, home has become only a service station, a place to refuel before dashing off again. Sometimes we spend so much time maintaining our home we forget to enjoy it. Giving with resentment, guilt or obligation drains and depletes us. True compassion not only nurtures others it brings us greater meaning, purpose and power. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Blaming others makes you feel like a victim. Stop shaming and blaming. Instead of fixating on the problem, look for the solution. Forgiveness brings about a state of grace. Living with compassion means nurturing yourself as well as others. Entangled in external demands, we fail to exercise our creative power. Wearing yourself out to prove something demonstrate not your strength but stubbornness. Too much togetherness can feel crowded. A procrastinator often has low self-esteem and standards so high they paralyze. Replace mindless habits such as watching TV with the mindful practice of listening to music, reading, exercising, walking, gardening or working on projects. A sense of agency makes the difference between a life lived creatively or reactively, between a person who makes things happen and one who complains that things are always happening to them. A crisis contains both danger and an opportunity. Polarities like night and day are two parts of the same whole. Our Western minds too often polarize opposites either/or, right/wrong, us/them or all/nothing. The wisdom the the Toa shows us that life is not linear but circular. With insight comes greater understanding, less narrow-mindedness and separation. We are part of the natural world, where all life is interrelated. Develop a balance of activity and contemplation. We can find private moments in everything. Learn to slow down, listen to your heart, simplify and clear away the clutter. The difference between routine and ritual is our attitude. When you pay attention to the small things you can develop greater mindfulness.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow I miss this book, January 13, 2002

By 

Ula (chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tao of Womanhood: Ten Lessons for Power and Peace (Paperback)

This is a wonderful, wonderful book. I'm not quite sure what else to say about it since it has been so long since I last read it. It was a book highly conducive to midnight epiphanies, and really helped frame my search for an effective way to live and understand my life.