Tao Te Ching

Moreover, the introduction by Needleman, missing in the 25-year edition , is stunning, particularly in his explanation of "virtue" as a verb, an act rather than an ideal. I'd trade the photos, however beautiful, for this introduction.


Beautiful translation   March 19, 2006
William C. Everett (Asheville, NC United States)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

I have always found the Tao Te Ching to be a very clear guide for life. I own a few different translations and this is the one that I always come back to. It is translated with a poetic style that highlights the simplicity of the way. Because you can plumb this work to any depth of understanding you want, anything more than the minimal bacground would be arbitrary.

Also, I am probably alone here, but I recommend the book without the pictures, which I think artificially establish a mood that may not be appropriate for the chapter you're working through.

I would also emphasize that this translation is not for scholars. It does not contain a great deal of commentary or references to the myriad ways a given word or phrase could be translated.


Simple is best.   December 30, 2006
R. Sohi
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Of the many translations of the Tao Te Ching I've read, this is the one I consider to be the finest. It's not scholarly (for that Ellen M. Chen's version is worth looking at), it's not artificially modern (as are the versions by Ursula Le Guin or Stephen Mitchell), it's just a simple clean presentation of the text with a short, but useful, introduction and end notes to flesh out each verse. The introduction and end notes have a decidedly Judeo-Christian slant, which might turn off some readers who want their Tao Te Ching with a purely Eastern flavour, but the translation itself is clear and apparently faithful to the original text.

The book also includes a very handy bibliography that describes the strengths of other available versions.

The other version that I'd strongly recommend is Witter Bynner's "The Way of Life According To Lao Tzu," which is more of an interpretation rather than a straight translation.


Interesting overview for a beginner...   August 12, 2002
Nate
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

As an intermittent student of Taoism and other Eastern philosophies, this is a fascinating read. It's fit for most peoples' sensibilities, a lot of it is similar to the sentiments expressed by Sun Tzu (although it's been a while since I've last looked at him).

This is a simple text, simple translation, but very profound. It's easily read in one night, but to truly understand it, I think, takes much longer.


An Accessible Translation of the Tao Te Ching   March 31, 1999
Steven Savage (California)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Over time I have found people treating this translation as the "definitive" TTC translation. Though I think no translation is ever perfect, this version is overall accessible, useful, and clear. It also lacks some of the pretention and New-Ageiness of other translations, which is a welcome relief.

Some people are not happy with Needham's commentary, but I myself largely don't read commentaries beyond translation notes. It's a must-have for any person who wants a good copy of the TTC.