Tao Te Ching

A New English Version

By: Stephen Mitchell, Lao Tzu

Narrated by: Stephen Mitchell

In 81 brief chapters, Lao-Tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, provides advice that imparts balance and perspective, a serene and generous spirit, and teaches us 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.

Stephen Mitchell's bestselling version has been widely acclaimed as a gift to contemporary culture.

©1988 Stephen Mitchell; (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Please warn before ad!

I have to add to what others have said. I listen to this book over and over and every time - the ad at the end shocks me. Audible.com, please, put something before the ad to signal the end of the book - like "audible hopes you enjoyed this book" - or put some music or something. At the very least- put a few seconds of silence or lower the sound level of the ad to match the book. With a name like "audible.com" you would think you would pay attention to consistent sound levels.

A "new" favorite Tao te Ching

I have been reading versions of Tao te Ching for decades. This is a balanced, serene, insightful one, that I think fits modern sensibilities better than any I've read (in several instances giving phrasings that better expressed ideas I had groped for, but not fully reached with other versions). It has a neat, non-frilly clarity that is ideal. The sound quality is good as far as the voice but I can hear quiet background noise going on and off as each little segment ends and the next starts. It is mildly distracting, but no big deal.

Delete the advert right at the end

Great narration...spoiled right at the very, very end with a really unexpected stupid ad...otherwise 5 stars

Great Audiobook but....

The Ad at the end ruined an otherwise great audiobook. Great listen aside from that.

A must read for any wisdom seeker. (Book starts at Chapter 1, 11:11 if you want to skip intro)

I purchased this book after reading it twice, once in my early 20s and again about five years ago. It is a must read for any young man or woman who is on a spiritual path and it’s fundamental concepts have the ability to guide and ground you for the rest of your life. Once you have read this book, you will realize that you have heard it’s words many times before in the form of passages from many modern New Age writers. You will be quoting it’s alliance yourself for the next 20 years.

My performance rating was only two stars because of the decision to start the book midway through the first chapter. While I appreciate the analysis given in the introduction, I did not want to hear it for this book because I feel like this is a book that will mean something different for each person and I did not want the translator’s own experience influence my perception. When there is an introduction to a book, it will normally be the entire first chapter and the book will start at the beginning of chapter 2. That was not the case in this audiobook and the book itself, interestingly enough, begins at chapter 1, 11:11