Tao Te Ching (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

Not the best translation

I was very disappointed after bringing this book home. Not only does the author provide you with a pre-packaged understandings and assumptions ripe for today's 'spiritualist' culture, but the translation itself is troublesome. It is clear that this author's own interpretation of the 'tao' comes ringing all too clear through the translation. Moreover, I found the change of pronouns to 'she' and 'her' as suspect, suggesting to me that other non-PC aspects of this work might also be edited out. Just give me the translation as acurately as possible. I rated this 'disappointing' though not a complete loss.

14 out of 17 people found this review helpful.

The Perfect Book that can be reviewed is not the Perfect Book!

This was the first time I ever studied the classic of philosophy, the 'Tao Te Ching.' The notes by Yi-Ping Ong are exceedingly helpful, especially considering that I am a silly Westerner that is positively ignorant about Chinese history and culture. Her introduction was also extremely enlightening and allowed even a novice to grasp the major principles of Lao Tzu's philosophy. The translation by Charles Muller was easy to understand (but I cannot compare it to other translations). An excellent book and a truly wondrous philosophy! I wish I could give it an infinite number of stars! To paraphrase the Master: the perfect book that can be reviewed is not the perfect book! This book is simply TOO good for a mere five stars!!!

8 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

Very Insightful

I truly believe that this is a suberb source of wisdom on the Tao. It is such an interesting method of thinking and can be applied quite easily to any other religous background. I enjoyed reading it and sharing in the words of Lao Tzu. To compare with other translations, I thought that this one was rather well done. It is indeed worth reading.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Recommended

A great book on wisdom from the Tao. Even though the true author of this book is unknown (and even if its more than one person who wrote it) it still provides useful solutions to some of our spiritual and ethical problems.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Beautiful Translation

This is my favorite translation of the Tao Te Ching. It is easy to read and a joy to learn.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The second best book ever next to The Bible

Tao is like water. Water is soft but outlasts the hard, finds a lower place and benefits everything.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

great wisdom

I think a lot more people should read this book because it helps people see clearer. Young people should really read this not as a required book but as a book that can help them into their journey into adulthood.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Gift, Hardcover Tao Te Ching

This book is a fun and happy presentation of the Tao Te Ching with good translations. I would definately recommend it as both a piece of literature and art. It's the kind of book that sparks conversation on a coffee table. Peace.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Britt

Here?

It is the most faithful and satisfying translation for me, a Chinese

I am a Chinese. I like Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching or Tao Te Sutra very much. I searched and read many English translations, but I was always not very satisfied with their translations comparing the original Chinese meanings. After I read this book, I think it is the most faithful and satisfying English version. The translator understood Lao Tzu completely and never gave excess transcendental meanings. I am wondering who is translator of this book, why there is no introduction and the biography of the translator'? I really appreciate if who can tell me the translator with his biography.

Pure wisdom

This book is really great. Made me think about a lot of things that I really hadn't considered before. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels a little confused about their life, and anyone who just wants to better themselves.

Coffee table book

Nice pictures. Nice chinese characters. One section provides the chinese
with english translation with a picture background. Another section provides the english translation with commentary. It is easy to flip
back and forth between the sections.

Wonderful esp. the illustrations.

I just finished this book I may have rushed it but I could not put it down. I did go out for a snack and returned to the reading. It is a short book so I hope to read it a few times till I feel comfortable with it. The illustrations are great: dragons, mountains, frogs, goldfish, etc.

Revoke the poetic licence, and exonerate Lau Tzu. This is a truly great work

The Tao Te Ching is perhaps the most misunderstood and misinterpreted book in history. It is highly subtle and paradoxical. In comparing the Silk texts to the prevalent texts, the late scholar Chi-Chung Huang amazingly corrected some 500 textual errors. He clarified the obscure meanings of some 30 chapters sealed within the structure of classical Chinese. Of the hundreds of translations, none have come as close to clarifying the intended teaching of Lau Tzu. Professor Huang was uniquely versed in ancient Chinese connotations, a higher level of classical learning, and used this knowledge to be literal, specific, exacting and clear. The difference of one word changes meaning drastically. It is evident that the Tao Te Ching is filled with historical and cultural terms that most translators have no knowledge of. The ancient connotations are lost on them all, including Mair, Chan, Lin, Mitchell, Waley, Wu, Lau, and others. The importance of understanding each character cannot be overlooked. No matter how attractive a publisher or translators makes their book jacket, they are masking ignorance to the specific meanings of this great work. Their proudly espoused poetic license is plainly arrogant. Professor Huang not only proves his work philosophically, but philologically as well. The great work of Lau Tzu deserves such attention to detail. In this work, the translator has repaired persistent errors perpetuated by the legalist school commentator Han Fei (c.280-233 B.C.E). In this most controversial chapter, ch.36, Lao Tzu has been accused of Machiavellian Strategy, and political intrigue. Chi-Chung Huang restored the true naturalistic principles to the chapter, negating the legalist art of war school interpretations, thereby exonerating Lau Tzu. By simply comparing ch.36 with any other translation, it becomes clear how important, unique and revelatory Chi-Chung Huang's work is. I hope this exceptional work finds its way to revoke the poetic license most translators take. They have done great harm by marketing an eastern mysticism based on vague and contrary understanding. Chi-Chung Huang is a true scholar that produced a truly great book. It deserves to be recognized as such. I am disappointed that scholars are so slow to recognize the true merits of this work. To browse the curriculums of famous universities and see the poetics of popular icon Stephan Mitchell and the like representing Lau Tzu, is greatly discouraging.

Exquisite Tao TE Ching

Dr. Ralph A. Dale's Tao Te Ching is exquisite visually and superb poetically. Above all, it is a rarity in it's thought provoking lessons for our time. If Lao Tzu was alive today he could not have done a better job of teaching us about the sweep of history as relevant for current human crises and solutions for tomorrow.

By gum! An excellent Translation!

Translations are always a blizzard of words, as opposed to the steady fall of the original piece. It becomes the translators job to not only communicate the original phrases, but to be as true to the overall meaning as possible. From what I have seen of other translations of the Tao? This piece is much clearer in it's meaning, has a continuity of imagery and phrasing that the others lack. I reccomend!

eugh...

wow... this is definatly a literal translation, from what i can tell, but has none [NONE] of the actual meaning. if you're looking for an excellent translation, i'd definately go with witter bynner. [see below]

Review

On comparing the original and translation, this translation of the Chinese classic is quite unsatisfactory. The translator presents the basic ideas of Taoism, but deviates from the original Tao Te Ching. I am quite disappointed about the translator's work. Many important points found in the original work were cut in the translation. It is my advice for other purchasers not to buy this translation; it would be a waste.

Incredible!

The illustarations are wonderful. The translation is one of my favorites. this beautiful book does not need my words though, open it to chapter one and see for yorself!

Best Translation

I've reviewed many different translations and this one seems to me to best convey the universality of the comments, without overly modernizing it - in terms of money or success etc. Lyrical and beautiful - buy 2 or 3 great holiday gifts.