The Parallel Tao Te Ching: A Comparison of English Translations

Working with a collection of eleven different translations from eight different publishers, this book provides - for each of the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching - three different translations and some comments.

Translated more than any other book but the Bible, the Tao Te Ching is the classic manual for living in the daily rush of today's modern times, as valuable today (if not more so!) as it was in world of 500 BCE China. It is a spiritual (but not religious) text and complements nicely whatever religious traditions one may (or may not) have.

The format of the book allows the reader to view both the translations and the comments for each verse at one time with the book opened flat. The comments are written in a conversational non-academic manner, designed to provide a variety of helpful tidbits. These tidbits may include further information or background about the verse, notes and elaborations from translators, as well as the author's own thoughts. Taken together, then, the book is a valuable resource for all readers as they begin or continue their own spiritual journeys along "The Way".

From the book's foreword by William Martin: " A humble, honest, and skillful approach . . . [Campbell] has been able to gather various translations and approaches to the Tao Te Ching and use them to help the reader journey deep into the practical implications of the poetry as it illuminates. It provides thoughtful and practical commentary on a variety of translations without being dense or pedantic."