Philip J. Ivanhoe's richly annotated translation of this classic work is accompanied by his engaging interpretation and commentary, a lucid introduction, and a Language Appendix that compares eight classic translations of the opening passage of the work and invites the reader to consider the principles upon which each was rendered.
Why another translation of the Daodejing? Ivanhoe manages, unlike some scholarly translators, to respect the intellectual, social, philosophic, historic, and spiritual integrity of the text and to put the text into a readable, insightful, and elegant English rendering of the most famous of the early Daoist classics. --John Berthrong, Boston University School of Theology
P. J. Ivanhoe approaches the Daodejing with great enthusiasm and love of subject, much philosophical insight, linguistic sensitivity, and philological sophistication. --Richard John Lynn, University of Toronto
Philip J. Ivanhoe is Professor in and Chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Georgetown University.