Fourth star for the first section, which is about interesting survival skills in the wild, which I plan to never need, but read anyway because, yes, interesting. Come the apocalypse, I'm done anyway. The section in the City and Online were standard advice we've all seen, haven't we?

Best for anxious kids, which, these days, is *lots* of them. Also good for adventurous kids who want to be ready to survive their adventures. Also good for writers (and readers) of adventure stories (for all ages), to get the facts right. Also good for families, of course.

I'm not sure how it got on my list, but it was a good read. The one thing that I got out of it was about pain: "Tell the affected part to stop bothering you: if it wants to hurt, that is its business and nothing to do with you." ( )

Lovely illustrated edition. The photos help. I have not studied Eastern philosophies nor do I feel a driving need to in order to appreciate this. The wisdom is self-contained and context-free... just read a verse a week or so, mull it over, let it simmer, let it go.... ( )

“Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?”

Well I learned two things upon completing this translation. One being that the Stephen Mitchell translation I had praised earlier takes a lot of liberties with the work. So much so that Taoists who have read it loathe it, and I think I can understand why given he made it more palatable to the modern reader, and certain elements are bound to be lost with such a decision. Which, of course, is always controversial with translation, especially of texts that are considered foundational. Also because after reading this translation, it seems to me there was no need to do that as its message resonates with the modern reader regardless. Which is also a good lesson for me, regarding my initial praise of Mitchell's translation, as it reminds me just how little one may know and how clueless one may be when one doesn't know. I still think the Mitchell translation gives some of Tao Te Ching’s essence, but shouldn't be the only English translation of the text one should read. I preferred this one with its commentary, which gives more insight to the modern reader, although separate from the work itself.

The second thing I learned is how this book's teachings, especially that of non-action, like lots of other teachings, have been appropriated and misused by the business world—there’s not a nook capitalism won't slip through and drain what it finds there for all it can get—and the military for uses that run contrary to the book’s message.

It's awkward to rate books upon which religions are founded, and so I won't be giving this any rating. This is an instructional book, a wise one too, I think so at least, and one that appeals to me as it preaches coexistence and harmony. The three major principles here being: simplicity, patience, and compassion. This translation was smooth, as was the audiobook. I got a different translation from the library I'll read later, just because it's a short and fast read I want to read again, and also because I want to compare translations

Read the book slowly over almost a year -- one 'flower' each night. Very calming for me. Also gave me some ideas about forgetting our Western ideas of competing, taking advantage of others, of flaunting ourselves. Non-action seems to be better.