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Lao-Tzu

Tao Te Ching: A New English Version (Perennial Classics) Paperback – September 5, 2006

by Lao Tzu (Author), Stephen Mitchell (Translator)

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The bestselling, widely acclaimed translation from Stephen Mitchell

In eighty-one brief chapters, Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, provides advice that imparts balance and perspective, a serene and generous spirit, and teaches us how to work for the good with the effortless skill that comes from being in accord with the Tao—the basic principle of the universe.

Print length

144 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Publication date

September 5, 2006
Dimensions

5.31 x 0.32 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

9780061142666
ISBN-13

978-0061142666
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“I have read many translations of this ancient text but Mitchell’s is by far the best.” — James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces

From the Back Cover

In eighty-one brief chapters, Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, provides advice that imparts balance and perspective, a serene and generous spirit, and teaches us how to work for the good with the effortless skill that comes from being in accord with the Tao—the basic principle of the universe.

Stephen Mitchell's bestselling version has been widely acclaimed as a gift to contemporary culture.

Start reading Tao Te Ching: A New English Version (Perennial Classics) on your Kindle in under a minute.

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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0061142662
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Reprint edition (September 5, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780061142666
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061142666
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.32 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #8,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4 in Taoist Philosophy
- #4 in Taoism (Books)
- #6 in Tao Te Ching (Books)

Customer Reviews:
1,544 ratings

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justaguy

"A New English Version" -- "Version" is the key term here

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

I first read the Tao Te Ching in college. Somewhere along the line I lost that copy so I decided to pick up this one (especially since it had such high reviews). This copy seemed much different than the one I read years back. And I am not just talking about the author's choice to use female pronouns as well as male pronouns in his version (incidentally - how close can one get to awareness of Tao if one allows oneself to get hung up on seeing "He" rather than "She" in the teachings?).
In one portion of this "tao de ching: A New English Version" ("Version" is the key word) the author chooses to translate "When the Tao is absent in a country,/ war horses are bred on the borders" to "When a country goes counter to the Tao, Warheads are stockpiled outside the cities". This author has written his "modernized" version of the Tao Te Ching and he claims to have been open in this fact, supposedly by him using the terms "A New English Version". When one reads further one in the notes you see the author admitting he does not even know Chinese (so his interpretation of the Tao is from other translations - and how he thinks the lines should read for poetics sake, or P.C. sake, etc).
At first I thought I would not write a review on this book. But when seeing the author admit to what I had suspected it made me feel like I really got ripped off. If you are looking for a translation of the Tao Te Ching do not get this author's book. The author respects the Tao but this is not the real deal. I will be purposefully losing this book and looking for a better translation.

745 people found this helpful

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J

An incredibly profound and enjoyable read.

Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2018

Verified Purchase

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.

215 people found this helpful

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Abraham Kim

Do not buy - this version lacks the nuance of the original text

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2018

Verified Purchase

If you're looking for a good, hardcore, truly Taoist translation of the great Ching, don't buy it.

The author, as others have mentioned, has admitted to going to great liberties to make the translated text sound more "poetic" to the modern reader, along with adding his little spice of he and she references just to balance out the gender appeal (the original text doesn't even mention gender). The truth is, if you read other versions of the Ching (even online), it's easy to see that the doing so distracts from the true message of the text, and that the best versions don't even need to use specific pronouns to get the message across.

While reading this I literally almost puked at how many contractions there were, and how desperate the author at trying to make this already profound text sound "hip." I almost felt like I was reading a self-help book or something. So I went online and looked up some other versions, and lone behold, there are versions that had none of that crap in it.

I just don't get why authors do this...like do they think we are dumb? Do they have ANY understanding for the profoundness of the texts they altering to make them more "palatable" to a modern audience? I saw "Perennial Classics" edition so I thought I'd buy it because I trust them, but not so much anymore, especially when it comes to books like this.

DO NOT BUY. If you want a good version, search up "Tao Ti Ching on wussu.com." That version is much better and better captures the philosophical nuance of the text without putting in all this modern mainstream he/she/contraction BS.

132 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

customer trillion

This is one of the best books I have ever engaged with

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is one of the best books I have ever engaged with. I cannot recommend it more highly. A beautiful gift for anyone with any spiritual / philosophical curiosity and passion. I read this book over and over and over again. It is more than a book it is a tool, a window, a companion.The version of the Tao Te Ching here is poetic and profound. The introduction alone is worth buying the book for.

2 people found this helpful

MR S J GRAINGER

best. book. ever. :D

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 27, 2018

Verified Purchase

It doesn't get much better than this in the modern world.. perennial wisdom from the east in a no nonsense translation, presented in a wee volume you can keep with you everywhere. Don't bother with other translations.. Mitchell gets it - and gives it!

3 people found this helpful

Maelen Moonsinger

A ghastly and flippant travesty

Reviewed in Canada on May 10, 2022

Verified Purchase

I have read the Daodejing in the original classical Chinese and in a number of translations into English and Modern Chinese. This "translation" is a worthless disgrace that will only be valuable to someone who is studying the thought of Stephen Mitchell. It wanders away from the clear meaning of the original in many places, and suppresses or rewrites anything that the translator finds distasteful or hard to understand. For instance, Verse 80, a key passage that makes it clear that even in historical Chinese terms the author of the Daodejing was a totalitarian, is completely reworded into a fluffy ode to the simple, natural life. The "translator" doesn't even bother to add a note on the extent of his changes, other than giving the final part of the passage, which calls for the common people to be reduced to mindless lumps that would never visit neighboring villages in their entire lives, the genuinely stupid comment "Not that they are lacking in appropriate curiosity. But they have their priorities straight." (p. 113). Whoever approved the publication of this dreck certainly didn't have their priorities straight -- unless those priorities are limited to flogging shoddy New Age fluff to the credulous.

One person found this helpful

Ryan

Wonderful Book!

Reviewed in Canada on January 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

If you like Stephen Mitchell's translation of the Tao Te Ching, this is an excellent buy. I find Mitchell's translation to be simple and yet very eloquent. It does not feel like a 'westernized' translation, nor does it feel incomprehensible.

This book is really beautiful. Before buying it, I thought it might be too plain, or utilitarian when I saw the gray cover. Upon getting the book and opening it, I was very pleased. The pages are a creamy colour with beautiful numbering of the 'chapters' in red at the top of each page. The spacing of words and verses in the book make it very attractive and accessible for a short reading session or reading through the entire book in a single sitting.

Ultimately, my notes above are rather irrelevant to why you might enjoy this book. The Tao Te Ching is a wonderful work of wisdom. It's lessons are beautiful and resonate with one's inner nature. The Tao is one of many sources to draw spiritual instruction and refreshment from. I suggest reading it through many times and meditating on certain parts and see where that takes you.

The Tao is priceless, this copy of the Tao Te Ching is excellent value for the price.

6 people found this helpful

Benn Van Ryn

This is what you're looking for

Reviewed in Canada on March 4, 2022

Verified Purchase

Reading this book melts my mind like an ice cube dropped into a warm coffee. No one book has consoled me in low times or calmed me in stressful times as much as the Dao. My favourite translation. The one thing I would say is the audiobook is even better than the physical copy.

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