The scope ranges widely over time and place, from the Upanishads of ancient India to the words and images of Japan's ukiyo-e - the floating world. The introductions, providing invaluable background on history, belief, and interpretation, are provided by thinkers, writers, and artists who are renowned for communicating accessibly and imaginatively. The translations used are in a thoroughly readable modern idiom. Accompanying images are chosen for their evocative appropriateness. The stories in Tales From the Tao introduce traditional Taoist principles and ideas about many of the most basic human experiences - birth, death, loss, gain, dignity in the face of challenge, how to judge character, when to move forward, when to retreat, how to deal with fame, and how to surrender to the most fundamental experience of the Tao itself. The insights and ideas that the stories present to us can be of great assistance in today's often stressful and confusing world.