The love relationship between two people can be the most rewarding and enlightening adventure possible, Martin writes, and he imparts the Tao's spirited, sage advice for everyone on that adventure.

Following the successful debut of the Parent's Tao Te Ching -- William Martin now reinterprets the Tao for couples. With The Parent's Tao Te Ching, William Martin beautifully re-interpreted Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching -- one of the world's oldest and most widely read books of wisdom -- expressly for parents. Now, he distills and freshly re-interprets the essence of each of the Tao's 81 chapters to speak directly and clearly to couples. William Martin's indelible, spirited, and sage advice, rendered in free verse, captures the ancient spirit of Lao Tzu's original text, yet speaks directly to modern lovers--and to the full sweep of their experiences and emotions. A deeply felt alternative to advice books that urge readers to manipulate their partners rather than to love them, The Couple's Tao Te Ching is for everyone who has embarked upon a loving relationship, which, as William Martin says, "can be the most rewarding and enlightening adventure possible."

The Tao Te Ching—one of the most loved and widely translated books in human history—has appeared in countless English-language versions. But no modern translation has yet captured the essential thrust of Lao Tzu's work as a practical guide to living an awakened life. Now William Martin, whose acclaimed previous reinterpretations of the Tao (for parents, couples, and elders) have introduced or reacquainted this classic text to thousands of readers, strikingly translates the Tao's eighty-one chapters to uniquely address someone on a Tao—or path—with a practice. Martin frames his new translation with two illuminating, groundbreaking sections: "A Path," which introduces the Tao's nonlinear construction and explains how it works its themes; and "A Practice," which provides practical guidance for readers exploring each of the Tao's themes in depth. Martin's genius in this new translation uncovers how directly the Tao speaks to readers on or about to embark on a spiritual journey.

The twentieth anniversary edition of William Martin’s free-verse interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, written expressly for those coming into the fullness of their wisdom Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching reminds its readers that the sage has been venerated in China for thousands of years. Twenty years ago, William Martin subtly and powerfully captured the complex emotions connected with growing older in this free-verse interpretation of the Tao. His words resonate just as much now, encouraging today’s sages to recognize their inestimable worth in a youth-centric world that often goes astray: “If there is to be a transformation, it will be the sages among us who will show the way. The elders, the wisewomen, the shamans, the grandmothers, and the grandfathers will provide the guidance, for they have undergone the necessary initiations . . . and emerged into the spaciousness of simplicity, freedom, and joy.”

This insightful English version of the Tao Te Ching is written in gender-neutral language, like the Chinese original, with facing-page commentary for casual or scholarly reading.

Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is the classic manual on the art of living, and one of the wonders of the world. In eighty-one brief chapters, the Tao Te Ching looks at the basic predicament of being alive and gives advice that imparts balance and perspective, a serene and generous spirit. This book is about wisdom in action. It teaches how to work for the good with the effortless skill that comes from being in accord with the Tao (the basic principle of the universe) and applies equally to good government and sexual love; to child rearing, business, and ecology. Stephen Mitchell's bestselling version has been widely acclaimed as a gift to contemporary culture.

An updated version of James Legge's classic translation of The Tao Te Ching with gender neutral text.