From Library Journal
It sometimes seems that Cleary translates esoteric texts from several different non-Western languages at a faster rate than many of us can read them in English. For more than 20 years, Cleary, who has a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Literature from Harvard, has worked independently, translating 50-plus Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist, and Islamic texts. These two volumes are the first of four projected volumes of Taoist classics and introduce a larger series of Cleary's collected translations. If these indicate what is to come, the remainder of the series should be eagerly awaited. Because he is unaffiliated with any academic institution, Cleary's accuracy has been questioned from time to time, and he has been faulted for not including the footnotes and textual apparatus that usually accompany such works. For most readers, though, having these texts available in consistent versions and with enough explanatory material to place them in context far outweighs any deficiencies scholars might find. Of the two volumes here, the first presents more obscure texts and gives a much fuller picture of the scope and nature of Taoism and its relation to Confucianism and Buddhism in Chinese thought. Libraries unwilling to commit to the series might reasonably choose it as a single acquisition, but for the price, any library would benefit from having both volumes. Highly recommended for academic libraries and appropriate public library collections.-Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
This is Volume One of the four-volume Taoist Classics series, containing a compendium of the following five previously published books, now under one cover:
1. Tao Te Ching
2. Chuang Tzu
3. Wen Tzu - Understanding the Mysteries
4. The Book of Leadership and Strategy
5. Sex, Health and Long Life: Manuals of Taoist Practice


Language Notes
Text: English
Original Language: Chinese


From the Inside Flap
This collection of translated texts includes:
­Tao Te Ching: Cleary’s original translations of the great classic of Taoism, accompanied by his commentary illuminating the text and its context.
­Chuang-tzu: The “Inner Teachings” of a widely influential compendium of wisdom stories, fables, and anecdotes.
­Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries: Another core text of Chinese Taoism, containing teachings also attributed to the author of the Tao Te Ching.
­The Book of Leadership and Strategy: Lessons of the Chinese Masters: One of the great Chinese teachings on the subtle arts of management and leadership at all levels.
­Sex, Health, and Long Life: Manuals of Taoist Practice: The techniques contained in these five texts reveal the transformative influence sex can have when wisely practiced.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Taoist I Ching: The classic tool for understanding the heart of any situation—illuminated by the commentary of the nineteenth-century Taoist adept Liu I-ming.

I Ching Mandalas: A traditional program of study that enables students of the I Ching to achieve a deeper understanding of its philosophy.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal