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"A twenty-first-century form of ancient wisdom . . . Mitchell's flights, his paradoxes, his wonderful riffs are brilliant and liberating." -Pico Iyer The most widely translated book in world literature after the Bible, Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is the classic manual on the art of living. Following the phenomenal success of his own version of the Tao Te Ching, renowned scholar and translator Stephen Mitchell has composed the innovative The Second Book of the Tao. Drawn from the work of Lao-tzu's disciple Chuang- tzu and Confucius's grandson Tzu-ssu, The Second Book of the Tao collects the freshest, most profound teachings from these two great students of the Tao to offer Western readers a path into reality that has nothing to do with east or west, but everything to do with truth. With his own illuminating commentary alongside each adaptation, at once explicating and complementing the text, Mitchell makes the ancient teachings at once modern, relevant, and timeless. Listen to a special podcast with Stephen Mitchell:
I absolutely loved this book. I was so happy that I took a chance and bought it. Stephen Mitchell's translations of these nuggets ancient Chinese wisdom are excellent as usual, but what really sets this book apart are his commentaries. On the page opposite each of the 64 poems is a prose commentary that has humor as well as insights that brilliantly illuminate the original. I know this is high praise, but I admit to liking his accessible commentaries even better than the poems he is commenting upon.In fact, Mitchell acknowledges in the light-hearted introduction that the translations are "loose." Thus, the combination of his adventurous translations with his finely-crafted commentaries give this special volume a clarity that absolutely works. It connects spiritually with a wholeness that I don't think I've ever experienced amongst all the many Eastern wisdom volumes I have read. The fact that it is compact and concise--just 64 poems and commentaries--adds to its power (as well as its convenience.)Yes, I am someone who already respected the work of Stephen Mitchell (including his exceptional collaboration with his wife Byron Katie, "A Thousand Names for Joy," another favorite of mine). But "The Second Book of the Tao" is, in my opinion, absolutely one of his greatest works. If you love Eastern Wisdom, don't miss this gem.
