Customer Reviews

Tao te Ching

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One of the core ideas in Taoism (especially if you read a lot of Chuang-Tzu) is that there are infinite perspectives on anything and everything, and no one is more absolute or "correct" than the others. I think it's safe to say that the Tao Te Ching itself is an excellent example of this principle - just look at how many translations have been done, in various styles, approaching various perspectives on life, society, money, etc. And while there are certainly translations that speak to me far better than others do, I'd have to say that they are not always completely satisfying.

If you feel the same way, then Jonathan Star has come to your rescue with /Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition/. It starts out with an overview of Lao Tzu's work and the challenges that come with translating it. Then there is a rather good literary translation by the author, which sometimes takes a bit of artistic license - definitely not a bad thing. This is not the meat of the book, however. That part is the "definitive" translation itself - the literal translation. Every character of every chapter is provided, along with multiple possible meanings. Using this, you can compose your own interpretations of your favorite chapters, or the whole book if you wish.

The literal translation is extremely well done, and provided in a very accessible format that provides a lot of information in an easy to use manner. If I had to pick something to gripe about, it would be the fact that the literal translation uses Wade-Giles instead of Pinyin (this from a book with a 2001 copyright). I suppose this was to keep things consistent with the similarly old-style spellings "Tao", "Lao-Tzu", etc. This niggle is mitigated a bit by the concordance section of the book, which includes translations from Wade-Giles to Pinyin. Not very convenient, but then again you probably won't be reading the literal translation for its phonetic qualities anyway. Like I said, that's basically the only gripe I can come up with.

Other juicy bits in the book: a section devoted totally to the different interpretations of the first chapter over the years, a summary of the many meanings used for each character throughout the Tao Te Ching, and a nice commentary on chapter one courtesy of Jonathan Star.

If you want to explore the Tao Te Ching as it speaks to *you* then this is definitely a book you want in your collection. As good a job as Jane English, Le Guin, et al have done with their respective translations, nothing can compare to the one that comes from your own spirit and heart. Thus, this truly is the definitive Tao Te Ching. Highly, HIGHLY recommended.

This edition of the Tao Te Ching is the only one you will ever need. The translation provided is beautiful, peotic, and understandable.

The verbatim translation is absolutely amazing for really understanding what you're reading. It gives you the ability to create your own interpretation, and understand some of the more nuanced meanings of the original chinese text.

The book gives you everything you need to simply enjoy the Tao Te Ching, and provides you with the first few steps toward a serious study of the work. Whether you are interested in the Tao Te Ching for spiritual, intellectual, or recreational purposes, this is the ideal book.

There are so many translations of the Tao Te Ching that choosing one may be difficult. I like Jonathan Star's translation the most, for two reasons: first, because I feel it's a good translation, and second, because the entire text of the Tao Te Ching is included, word for word, in the original chinese, with word for word translations. This gives the reader some insight into the original text. Also included is some commentary and history. I highly recommend this translation. Also recommended is the translation by Brian Browne Walker.

Many translators have taken great liberties with the text of the Tao Te Ching. I have studied and compared many versions, and at one point I got so fed up that I started compiling versions together in what was slowly becoming my own "best of" from among them. Then I ran across this book by Jonathan Star. Whether I ever continue that project or not, Star has made studying the Tao Te Ching a whole lot easier, and more accurate. Recommended for study, this well thought out translation also contains a second "verbatim" translation that consists of a list of various possible English meanings of the Chinese characters (useful for making ones own translation and/or gaining further insight into the text), extensive notes, a commentary, concordance, and Wade-Pinyin conversion. It's a very useful, valuable toolbox for studying the Tao Te Ching. As of yet, there does not appear to be any other source for detailed study as well put together and with as much useful material.

Since I wrote the above, a book here at Amazon came to my attention that has become even more important to me. It's called-- Lao-Tzu's Taoteching: With Selected Commentaries of the Past 2000 Years. ISBN: 1562790854 by the author Red Pine (a.k.a. Bill Porter). It's not as a definitive academic source book for translation as Star's, but I like the tranlsation itself so much better than Stars, and the commentaries are so insightful, that I dont even use the Jonathan Star book anymore! It is a MUST for TAO studies. I even bought a spare copy of it!

Tao Te Ching..meaning Book of The Way, or book of the Word. One of the best books ever written. Certainly, the book that has had the most profound positive influence on my life.

If you are like me, you may be wondering should I get this particular version, and how does it compare with other versions like the Stephen Mitchell, Wayne Dyer and or even the Ursula Le Guin version.

No matter how great a writer you think Jonathan is, he did not write the Tao, yet his translation is consistent with the best versions I have read.

My personal favorite version is the Stephen Mitchell version. The Tao is wise, paradoxical, counterinituitive, puzzling, fascinating, mysterious, inspiring, amazing and true. These concepts bypass ego based thinking, and the idea of doing things by not striving is allowing a higher more authentic way of thinking to inform your being and your action.

The Jonathan Star version has Chinese symbols at the back, with multiple meanings of each symbol, which gives it an advantage over other editions. This is a great idea, which allows you to come up with your own version of the Tao, and would really open up your thinking on the Tao.

If you are like me, then as you read you discover the wisdom like a raw jewel which you shape into a glittering diamond. That is the brilliance of the book.

The Tao is always present within you.
You can use it any way you want.

81 chapters, all less than one page. Like any great mystery, the Tao is there to be experienced and not necessarily understood. Here is a selection from verse 81 to illustrate the difference between different versions.

True words aren't eloquent;
Eloquent words aren't true;
Wise men don't need to prove their point;
Men who need to prove their point aren't wise.

A different version might substitute the word beautiful for eloquent.

You can feel comfortable buying the Jane English version, or any of these other versions.

The Ursula Le Guin version, I liked her take on verse 1, but I did not find it as useful on other verses, and felt if did not really capture the Tao as well as these other versions. You might feel differently.

I also recommend The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, which is another classic book of wisdom, and The Dhammapada featuring the succinct teachings of the Buddha. For more Taoist writing, I recommend the Way of Chuang Tzu, by Thomas Merton. You will discover many parallels with the Tao, and he is also an incredible story teller.

Hope this was helpful.

Like others have said, if you want a version that is not an interpretation, but instead takes a literal approach to translation, this is the book for you. It gives you the chance to make your own interpretation of the words you are reading and not being restricted by the translator. This book is also very scholarly - lots of notes in it about different translations for words and commentary.

Well, this one's a bit different. While I enjoyed his translation, what really stands out in this book is the fact that every single Chinese character in every single line is listed with a whole host of meanings that particular ideogram can have. Not only are the meanings given but the subtle nuances of the text are also included so implied meanings and combinations of terms that form a certain thought are also included.

References to many, many translators throughout the years and their particular understandings of the terms and the text as a whole are also included. It's a plethora of information for those who don't speak a lick of Chinese.

The great thing about is that by looking at the shades of meaning of even one particular character, one gets a better 'feel' on their own for the Tao itself. Rather than sheer dependence on the expertise of a particular author's Chinese, you can really work it out yourself.

For students and lovers of Lao Tzu's timeless poems of insight, gentle humor, and guidance in living a truly human life on both the inner and outer planes of being, Jonathan Star's translation must be considered essential. It is a marvelous work of research, scholarship, and truly creative presentation: he offers the first verbatim translation since Paul Carus' turn of the century (20th, that is) offering, using spreadsheet-style table to organize ideograms, lines, radicals, and translational possibilities. A marvelous essay on the first poem in the traditional ordering (Star uses the Wang Bi version and not the Ma Wang-Tui texts) is appended at the back of the book, along with an excellent lexicon. Best of all, Star offers us his own literary translation, which is worth the cost of the book all by itself: it has some breathtakingly beautiful points and is always a reflection not of a mere scholar but of a true lover of the Tao. This book is about $... in hardcover and will repay you exponentially for that small investment. And if you wish, you can even create your own translation of Lao Tzu with the help of this book--I did, and I recommend it as an excellent psychospiritual adventure.

1st - a lot of these reviews appear to be reviewing the wrong book! this is NOT mitchell's book!
2nd - having read part but not all of this book so far - i like it. why? it has their up to date english rendition of the text. it has another translation with each word and their various definitions for each word. consequently, one can 'create' their own translation. there is more too. check the book description under editorial reviews for more information.
3rd - this is NOT mitchell's book people.

Regardless of the translation, the Tao Te Ching relaxes you. Then, you start comparing the different translations, and you get to panicking real fast. Pretty ironic. It's something the Tao itself would warn you against. Sharpen the blade too much, you lose the edge.

Still, as an American consumer, I want the real deal, whether I'm buying a cheeseburger or an ancient philosophy. If true words can't be spoken, and you're gonna go and speak 'em anyway, at least make 'em as true as you can. I mean, what does a guy have to do to get the meaning of life around here, learn Chinese?

Enter Jonathan Star. Based on my comparison to five others, Star's lawn jart lands smack in the middle. Isn't that what Taoism is about? Getting to the center? He also made sure this would be the LAST translation you'd ever need, by including a second, "verbatim" translation-- a list of the various possible English meanings of every single Chinese character. Don't like something about his answer? Check his math. That's truly definitive. There might be other translations that do that, but I've got a shelf full of ones that don't, and I'm glad to say my search is finally over. I'm giving this book a perfect score. It's a good place to start AND a good place to finish.