Rating: 
Summary: An outstanding translation of a timeless dialog.
Review: Reading this book several years ago set me on a path of spiritual exploration which I still travel.
I have tried several other translations and find Mitchell's the most moving. His english and his explanations make clear a subject that is by nature elusive and indefinable.
Rating:
Summary: Profound and Beautiful, a guide to harmonious existance.
Review: Very seldom has a book effected me as much as the Tao Te Ching. The further you read into it, the more understanding dawns. After my initial reading, I felt compelled to read it again. Just for the translation of the Tao Te Ching, I would have felt I got my moneys worth, but this edition includes a section that has notes and stories to help bring clarity to the ideas brought forth in the chapters. A book worthy of members of any denomination... or no denomination, the concept of simplicity and harmony with the world that the Tao represents is something that could benefit anybody
Rating:
Summary: Incarnation of Mystical Wisdom (reinterpreted)
Review: "The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name."So begins the Tao Te Ching (Book of the Way), written by one Lao-tzu 2500 years ago in China. He left no other records or clues to his life, and only was persuaded at the last minute (by a gatekeeper) to write down this slim 5000 word poem before riding downriver on a water buffalo, never to be seen again. He didn't found a religion or recruit disciples, nor did he care to do so. In his own words, "When you are content to be simply yourself / and don't compare or compete, / everybody will respect you." This translation by Stephen Mitchell is a loose one, more aptly labeled a reinterpretation. But the result is a lucid, simple, and profound work that points the way toward a life filled with wisdom. There is also a helpful notes section in the back of the book where Mitchell repeatedly reminds the reader that he has "improvised" here or there to make the text more modern and especially to recreate the original mind of Lao-tzu as he sees it. It is obvious--even to someone such as myself who hasn't read any other version--that this translation should be accompanied by a more literal rendering. Nevertheless, Mitchell's words have the power to move hearts and enlighten minds. The basic essence of the Tao Te Ching is the Tao, which is evidently the origin of all things. The Tao also nourishes and gives life, and can be known and embodied (at least to a certain degree) by we humans. When we become close to the Tao via our mystical ability of inward contemplation, our being becomes supple, calm, patient, compassionate, and simple in its existence. Knowledge of the Tao is impossible; the Tao can only come of itself, and it is ever present all around us. In Lao-tzu's words: "Your intellect will never grasp [my teachings],
And if you try to practice them, you'll fail. If you want to know me,
Look inside your heart." So the Tao is a fundamentally mystical thing that can only be revealed inside our being. Another critical feature of Lao-tzu's teachings is "doing by not doing." In other words, if you try to be wise then you'll never be wise; if you try to know the Tao then you'll never know it, etc. So in order to follow The Way, we must empty ourselves of judgments and desires, rid ourselves of our ego, stop trying to accomplish things, and just let the Tao come. The wise master possesses nothing (which is not the same as having nothing; possession means psychological attachment), asserts no judgments, relinquishes all attachment, attains happiness by helping others instead of himself, and becomes wealthy by giving to others. His being and mind are also transparent, like empty space to the average man who puzzles over its existence and doesn't know what to do. The master is the very embodiment of the Tao, and thus relinquishes his attempts to exert control over things. After all, he doesn't judge anything and hence doesn't know whether an event will turn out to be good or bad, so how can he try to control the course of events? The Tao is the only real controller, and it controls without effort. This book is the kind of thing one can read in one hour or in an entire lifetime. But don't read it quickly; you need tons of time to ponder the depths of Lao-tzu's wisdom and how you should apply it in your life. The words may at first seem too simple, naïve, even nonsensical. But the Old Boy has an answer for skeptics: "To those that have looked inside themselves,
This nonsense makes perfect sense." This stuff isn't for the mind, it's for the soul. Reason is to the Tao as a wrench is to a heartache: a crude and useless tool.
Rating: 
Summary: new age taoism
Review: As a Taoist I am offended when I read people saying that it's irrelevant whether Mitchell's interpolation is a good "translation" of the Tao Te Ching, irrelevant whether this is a good introduction to Taoism -- what matters to these people, and nothing else, is whether this book "moved" them. Imagine you're a devout Christian, and someone has read a particularly beautiful, but misleading and inaccurate, translation of the Bible. Suppose you complain that Christ's message has been garbled and distorted by the "translation" -- by someone who knows no Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek -- and this person replies: "It's pretty irrelevant to me whether this is a 'proper translation' of the Bible. If a piece of art, writing or performance touches you to the core of your being then all criticism is really obsolete," etc. Okay, quick quiz: Who of you think it would be right for someone to misinterpret the Bible into having Jehova or Christ saying things They didn't say, and then defend that interpretation because it is relevant to them? Well, you might say, it's their right to see the Bible that way, but it's certainly not Judaism or Christianity, now is it? Just as Mitchell's so-called "translation" is _not_ Taoism. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Of course New Agers simply don't care; if it makes them happy, "moves" them, and reifies beliefs they already have, who cares about us cynics complaining about the inaccuracies of the text itself? Just accuse us of being obsessed with textual criticism, languages, and with our petty, close-minded insistence on understanding Taoism and not twisting the Tao Te Ching for its easier but uninsightful digestion by Westerners with little or no concern about actually expanding their understanding of othr belief systems.
Rating:
Summary: Good translation to begin your relationship with the Tao
Review: Of all of the various translations I have read either all or part of, this is the most fluid and dynamic. Not being able to read Chinese, I will not pretend to comment on its fidelity to the original, but the ideas conveyed by Mitchell inform the Taoist philosophy well. I consider the handful of one star reviews to be unfair; however, since I am not necessarily familiar with the better translations they mention, I cannot make any claims on their individual criticisms. One thing, however, is certain: Just because there may be a better translation does not make Mitchell's a bad translation. If anything, you should become familiar with a variety of translations, and this should certainly be among them.
Rating: 
Summary: Off target
Review: Please do not buy this translation of the "Tao Te Ching." Though Mitchell's effort may have been made with the best of intentions, the results fail to capture the elusive essence of the concept he is pursuing. Try Heider or Hoff; either one will be of more benefit. Don't deprive yourself of a rich philosophy...
Rating: 
Summary: The Definitive Version?
Review: "A good traveler has no fixed plans / and is not intent upon arriving," writes Stephen Mitchell as the opening to Chapter 27, which is most often translated as "A good walker leaves no tracks." So let's be clear from the start: the Tao Te Ching is a guidebook; nothing more or less.
And as with guidebooks for travelers of all types, following physical or spiritual paths, the text is in danger of becoming the focus of people's attention rather than the subject it tries to embrace. One can almost imagine the pained expression on the Old Boy's face at being asked to define such a thing as the Tao with mere words, knowing full well what the result would be. Fortunately, he also realized he could not remain silent, lest someone else point people in the wrong direction.
So is this the long-awaited "definitive" version of the Tao Te Ching? No, Jonathan Star's version has claimed that distinction. Or was it Victor Mair's? Red Pine's? The right answer is: the one that speaks most clearly to you and points you in the right direction. How will you know this is happening? You'll laugh...
Rating:
Summary: Overly simplistic, lacking in depth
Review: There are much better translations of the Tao Te Ching out there. One gets the sense from reading the Stephen Mitchell translation that it was tailored to sell in the west. I would recommend the Red Pine translation above all any day of the year, as it makes use of all discovered versions of the Tao Te Ching in its translation, and includes commentaries on each verse from scholars of the past 2000 years.
Rating:
Summary: My First Introduction to the Tao
Review: The Toa Te Ching has been translated into English more than 40 times and at least 1,000 commentaries are dedicated to it. It has been translated more times than any other book in history, except the Bible. There is a version or commentary for everyone, no matter how poor of a reader or how much of a purist you are.
It is true that this little book is an easy reading paraphrase, but I enjoyed it immensely. It makes a good primer. It is easy to read, yet the reader will want to highlight many passages to meditate on later. It introduces the tao in a way that may draw the reader into more difficult translations later. It is inexpensive and easy to carry around.
It might also be good for the experienced Taoist to read. Different paraphrases cause the mind to see passages with new perspectives. Remember, a wise man can learn from anything; a foolish man can't.
I heartily recommend the book for someone just becoming interested in the Tao, or for anyone who enjoys good wisdom literature from whatever culture.
Rating:
Summary: the ADD version of the tao
Review: i've read numerous translations of the tao, and this is by far the worst. you should only buy this if you have a supremely short attention span. sure, it's eminently readable, and the words flow nicely, but once you're done, everything will have dissapeared without a trace. call me demanding, but i like a philosophical text to actually make me think. this is just shallow happy-clappy feelgood stuff. for people more serious about it, i recommend red pine's translation.
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