Customer Reviews
a real translation - By: Michael Lavocah, 03 Nov 2008 
Translators Stephen Addiss & Stanley Lombardo have done their best not to reinterpret the Tao Te Ching, but to allow it to speak for itself. This wonderful English version preserves the epigrammatic terseness of the original. The layout & illustrations strike the same note as the text.
What can I say - this is the best way to approach this work, short of translating it yourself. Warmly recommended
A simple & accurate translation stunningly presented. - By: IrishGit, 11 Oct 2004 One of the best translations on the market. An attempt has been made to preserve some of the crystalline terseness of the original which is beyond deep. Also one key line from each section is givenin Chinese along with a glossary so that you can make your own translation. For example the third line from Section 29 they translate as "The world is a spiritual vessel", the Chinese being T'ien hsia shen ch'i. On using the glossary it becomes revealed that T'ien hsia means "under heaven" or "lower heaven" - much richer that "world". It would be possible to quibble with any translation, & ideally it would be best to study two or three different translations. However this one comes closest to the spirit of the original.
This book is remarkable & indispensible though for it's presentation & the stunning ink paintings/calligraphy which perfectly compliment the text. You'd be hard pressed to find a more beautiful book anywhere. Recommended!
