From Powells.com
Our favorite books of the year.
Staff Pick
When my heart is troubled and I find myself clinging too hard to things I can't control, I return to this beautiful translation of the Tao Te Ching. Le Guin filters the humor and mystery of Lao Tzu's text through her own feminist lens, providing wise commentary on her translation choices and on the many possible meanings that can be found in these seemingly simple poems. Recommended By Leanna M., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
A rich, poetic, and socially relevant version of the great spiritual and philosophical classic of Taoism from one of America's leading literary figures.
In this landmark modern-day rendition of the ancient Taoist classic, Ursula K. Le Guin presents Lao Tzu's time-honored and astonishingly powerful philosophy like never before. Drawing on a lifetime of contemplation and including extensive personal commentary throughout, she offers an unparalleled window into the text's awe-inspiring, immediately relatable teachings and their inestimable value for our troubled world.
Review
"The type of work which the great Polish poet and Nobel laureate Wislawa Szymborska meant when she spoke of 'that rare miracle when a translation stops being a translation and becomes . . . a second original.' . . . The whole of Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching is well worth savoring — as much for the ancient substance as for Le Guin's stylistic splendor." Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
Review
"A student of the Tao for several decades, Le Guin has created an English text that will speak to modern readers in a fresh and lively way, while conveying the humor, insight, and beauty of the original." Lion's Roar magazine
Review
"Among the many translations of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, Ursula K. Le Guin's new version is a special treasure — a delight. There is something startlingly fresh and creatively alive here, brought forth by Ms. Le Guin's intuitive and personal ingenuity." Chuangliang Al Huang, founder of the Living Tao Foundation and coauthor (with Alan Watts) of Tao: The Watercourse Way
About the Author
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) is an internationally celebrated author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry, and essays, including The Left Hand of Darkness, Always Coming Home, and the Earthsea Cycle series. Her numerous literary awards include six Nebula Awards, seven Hugo Awards, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Grand Master Award, and the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.