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Rating: 
Summary: wow
Review: "~Finally, a full translation of the Wang Bi commentary. Lynn's translation of the Daode jing itself is nothing new (though it's nice to see many key terms bracketed in Chinese as they appear, and some passages are translated in a fresh and insightful way), but the introduction and commentary by Wang Bi are every bit as brilliant as I'd been led to believe. You cannot fail to gain a deeper understanding of this seminal Taoist text from Wang's commentaries."~ fair, and nonjudgmental throughout, a rare quality in Taoist studies, also providing an extensive bibliography, glossary, and index, in addition to an excellent introduction. This is _the_ best scholarly translation of the Daode jing I have seen.This is not some phony ancient Chinese justification of libertarianism, or think a translation of the DDJ has to be particularly beautiful and poetic to be meaningful (not that there's anything wrong with sounding poetic! it just misses the point of the DDJ), you simply can't go wrong with this book. Thanks to R. Lynn for making this available to all of us who cannot read Classical Chinese. I will not be surprised if this book is someday considered an authoritative translation.
Rating:
Summary: Like a treasure chest...
Review: I just got this and it has instantly become my favorite translation. It seemed to click. Add to that the fact that it is more than just the author's interpretation. He includes explanations from people other than himself to try and milk out as much depth as possible using words. Considering the Tao is a wordless form of teaching, these words are wonderful.Do yourself a favor and add this to your balance of translations. If you don't have one, this is a great place to start.
Rating: 
Summary: Te, that is¿
Review: This latest translation of the Chinese Taoist Classic is a dry and lifeless specimen, not surprising from a man whose translation of the I Ching was praised for "having no truck with 'timeless wisdom.'" (back cover blurb). This volume's claim to fame, beyond its slim and attractive appearance, is the complete translation of Wang Bi, a 23 year old commentator from 3rd century CE China. To determine whether this translation is for you, you should know that Wang Bi had a strong inclination toward political interpretation, a proclivity probably due to the "high official status and prestige" of his family and their role in government and politics [p. 9], a trend furthered by his great-uncle's "Treatise on Keeping One's Person Safe"-which begins by making government secure [p. 10]. (Now there's a Chinese virtue, eh?) Consider also Wang Bi's answer as to why Confucius never spoke of nothingness while Lao Tzu spoke of it incessantly (as the Mother of the Ten Thousand Things etc.): "The Sage [Confucius] embodied nothingness so he also knew that it could not be explained in words....Master Lao...constantly discussed nothingness...for what he said about it always fell short [p. 12]." Now if you believe that someone who could say that actually knew anything firsthand about the Tao, then this book is for you. And if you are interested in Wang Bi, see Ellen Chen's superb translation/commentary which puts it in perspective. Otherwise, this is a book on Te-social virtue-where the scholarship is impeccable and the feeling is weak. And that's the Way it is!
Rating:
Summary: Te, that is?
Review: This latest translation of the Chinese Taoist Classic is a dry and lifeless specimen, not surprising from a man whose translation of the I Ching was praised for "having no truck with 'timeless wisdom.'" (back cover blurb). This volume's claim to fame, beyond its slim and attractive appearance, is the complete translation of Wang Bi, a 23 year old commentator from 3rd century CE China. To determine whether this translation is for you, you should know that Wang Bi had a strong inclination toward political interpretation, a proclivity probably due to the "high official status and prestige" of his family and their role in government and politics [p. 9], a trend furthered by his great-uncle's "Treatise on Keeping One's Person Safe"-which begins by making government secure [p. 10]. (Now there's a Chinese virtue, eh?) Consider also Wang Bi's answer as to why Confucius never spoke of nothingness while Lao Tzu spoke of it incessantly (as the Mother of the Ten Thousand Things etc.): "The Sage [Confucius] embodied nothingness so he also knew that it could not be explained in words....Master Lao...constantly discussed nothingness...for what he said about it always fell short [p. 12]." Now if you believe that someone who could say that actually knew anything firsthand about the Tao, then this book is for you. And if you are interested in Wang Bi, see Ellen Chen's superb translation/commentary which puts it in perspective. Otherwise, this is a book on Te-social virtue-where the scholarship is impeccable and the feeling is weak. And that's the Way it is!
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