About the Book

Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, or “Book of the Way,” is the classic manual on the art of living. In eighty-one brief chapters, the Tao Te Ching gives advice that imparts balance and perspective, along with a serene and generous spirit. It explains the Tao, or the basic principle of the universe, and teaches the reader how to work for good with the effortless skill that comes from being in accord with the Tao. These lessons apply to all aspects of life, from government to love, from childrearing to ecology.

The Tao Te Ching is the most widely translated book in world literature, after the Bible. Yet the clarity of the original has only rarely been captured. This rendering by eminent scholar Stephen Mitchell presents the Tao Te Ching as poetry, written with all the skill which Mitchell brought to his renowned translations of Rilke.

Lao Tzu was one of the great philosophers of ancient China, and is a central figure in Taoism. According to Chinese tradition, Lao Tzu lived in the 6th century BC. Historians debate whether Lao Tzu is a combination of multiple historical figures, a mythical figure, or an actual person.

Stephen Mitchell was born in Brooklyn in 1943, educated at Amherst, the Sorbonne, and Yale, and de-educated through intensive Zen practice. His many books include the bestselling Tao Te Ching, Gilgamesh, and The Second Book of the Tao, as well as The Gospel According to Jesus, Bhagavad Gita, The Book of Job, and Meetings with the Archangel.

“Beautiful and accessible; the English, as ‘fluid as melting ice,’ is a joy to read throughout.”

–The New Republic

Critical Praise

"Mitchell's rendition of the Tao Te Ching comes as close to being definitive for our time as any I can imagine. It embodies the virtues its translator credits to the Chinese original: a gemlike lucidity that is radiant with humor, grace, largeheartedness, and deep wisdom." — Huston Smith, author of The Religions of Man

"Beautiful and accessible; the English, as 'fluid as melting ice,' is a joy to read throughout." — The New Republic

"I read the Stephen Mitchell translation of the Tao Te Ching in one sitting, three times. It is stunning, so lovely. It is a treasure." — Louise Erdrich

"Mitchell's great talent is to communicate with the profound simplicity utterly appropriate for this task. The obscure has been made transparent and available." — Common Boundary

“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

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Product Details

• ISBN: 9780061142666
• ISBN 10: 0061142662
• Imprint: Harper Perennial
• On Sale: 09/05/2006
• Trimsize: 5.310 in (w) x 8.000 in (h) x 0.320 in (d)
• Pages: 144
• List Price: $16.99
• BISAC1 : PHILOSOPHY / Eastern
• BISAC2 : POETRY / Subjects & Themes / Inspirational & Religious
• BISAC3 : RELIGION / Taoism (see also PHILOSOPHY / Taoist)