Laozi's Dao De Jing: A New Interpretation for a Transformative Time

by Ken Liu (Adapter/Translator), Lao Tzu

A fresh, graceful translation of one of the most important and timeless classics—the foundational work of Daoism—by award-winning novelist Ken Liu, who contextualizes and demystifies this famously enigmatic text.

Laozi’s Dao De Jing was written around 400 BC by a compassionate soul in a world torn by hatred and ambition, dominated by those that yearned for apocalyptic confrontations and prized ideology over experience. By speaking out against the cleverness of elites and the arrogance of the learned, Laozi upheld the wisdom of the concrete, the humble, the quotidian, the everyday individual dismissed by the great powers of the world. Earthy, playful, and defiant, Laozi’s words gave solace to souls back then, and offer comfort today. Now, this beautifully designed new edition serves as both an accessible new translation of an ancient Chinese classic and a fascinating account of renowned novelist Ken Liu’s transformative experience while wrestling with the classic text.

Throughout this translation, Liu takes us through his own struggles to capture the meaning in Laozi’s text in a series of thoughtful and provocative interstitial entries. Unlike traditional notes that purport to be objective, these entries are explicitly personal and unapologetically subjective. Gradually, as Liu learns that true wisdom cannot be pinned down in words, the notes grow sparser until they fade away entirely. His journey suggests the only way out of struggle is to engage with texts that have survived the millennia, wrestling with ideas that gesture at something eternal, in hopes that we might eventually reach that moment of transcendent joy.

Liu’s translation, by eschewing cleverness, paradoxically reveals the slipperiness of Laozi’s original. The Dao De Jing has been translated countless times and will be translated countless times in the future. In that constant change and flow, we finally find our home in Dao, the eternal principle that allows us, finite beings in time and space, to reckon and reconcile with the infinite.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Classics, China, Poetry, Religion, Audiobook

176 pages, Hardcover

Published August 20, 2024

About the author

Ken Liu (http://kenliu.name) is an American author of speculative fiction. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards for his fiction, he has also won top genre honors abroad in Japan, Spain, and France.

Liu’s most characteristic work is the four-volume epic fantasy series, The Dandelion Dynasty, in which engineers, not wizards, are the heroes of a silkpunk world on the verge of modernity. His debut collection of short fiction, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, has been published in more than a dozen languages. A second collection, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, followed. He also penned the Star Wars novel, The Legends of Luke Skywalker. His latest book is All That We See or Seem, a techno-thriller starring an AI-whispering hacker who saves the world.

He’s often involved in media adaptations of his work. Recent projects include “The Regular,” under development as a TV series; “Good Hunting,” adapted as an episode in season one of Netflix’s breakout adult animated series Love, Death + Robots; and AMC’s Pantheon, with Craig Silverstein as executive producer, adapted from an interconnected series of Liu’s short stories.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Liu worked as a software engineer, corporate lawyer, and litigation consultant. He frequently speaks at conferences and universities on a variety of topics, including futurism, machine-augmented creativity, history of technology, bookmaking, and the mathematics of origami.

In addition to his original fiction, Liu also occasionally publishes literary translations. His most recent work of translation is a new rendition of Laozi’s Dao De Jing.

Liu lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Samuel Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Ken Liu’s previous work—both his original writings and his translations—so I figured I’d take a look at this one too.

I’ve read another translation of this at some point, but I gleaned more from it this time around. Some of it is from being older, some of it is from slowing down as I read, and some of it is Liu’s insights and perspective scattered throughout.

I found this style of interweaving the translation with Liu’s thoughts and other storytelling made it more accessible and ultimately increased my engagement with the text, so I recommend it from that perspective. I can’t vouch for the quality of the translation, of course.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

[Patrick (Kunle) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read the Tao Te Ching for the first time six years ago, I was left with mixed feelings. I knew what to do with words like these:

"To solve the hard you must begin with the easy; To do something big you must start very small. All difficulties must be resolved through simple steps. All grand deeds must be performed through tiny details."

But I didn't know what to do with words like these:

"Each day of harmonizing with Dao inclines you to less. Less, still less, until you do nothing. Do nothing so that nothing is undone."

A recovering procastinator at the time, I almost took offense at it.

Now, many years later, with the benefit of age, Ken Liu's insightful notes, and a deeper understanding of the book's context, I've come to appreciate - and somewhat understand, lol - those complex words.

I will definitely be coming back to the unique philosophy that is Daoism. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this quote as much as I did:

"The most perfected appears flawed, but it will never be exhausted. The most fulfilled appears to be hollow, but it will never be emptied out. The straightest path appears full of twists and turns. The highest craft appears unworked. The best orator sounds plain. The still wins over the restless; the cool over the impetuous. Serenity governs the cosmos."

[Trent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not Chinese, nor am I a Taoist.

In fact, before listening to this translation I was wholly unfamiliar with Taoist philosophy.

I am, however, a huge fan of Ken Liu - his writing, his translating, and his thought process in general (watch interviews with him - they are fascinating).

And true to form, this was a really thought-provoking and relaxing listen. BD Wong's narration of the audiobook is perfect, and the addition of short musical interludes between each chapter made for peaceful contemplation. Ken also provides excellent commentary throughout the book.

So I highly recommend this translation for those with an open mind who want to hear new perspectives in a comforting way. I plan to revisit this again.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure how to rate this on a scale - mainly considering how I felt about the translation and interpretation from Ken Liu. There were quite a few thought provoking passages here, but it was difficult to wrap my head around embracing Dao as a lifestyle in this modern world. I think that’s the point though, so it’s still quite interesting to chew on in the background. I liked the way Ken added his thoughts here and there and overall flowed very freely from passage to passage. As always, I appreciate his translations :)

Received a free copy from Netgalley.

[Benjamin]

How? I take Ken Liu serious as a writer and thinker, so picked this book up. (Funny that it doesn't list him name here as an author.)

What? At a high-level: Ken Liu translates the _Dao De Jing_ and intersperses chapters with his reflections and illustrative stories from other Daoist thinkers (mostly/entirely Zhaungzhi).

Yeah, so? I want to start by breaking up, if I can, Ken Liu's work here from Laozi's work.

When I got this, what I was expecting was the sort of rigorously academic translations that I am used to, from, say, French critical theory. That is, there might be a large foreword explaining the context; and footnotes sprinkled throughout on why the translator chose one work over another or how this work is untranslatable because it's both straightforward and a pun.

Liu doesn't exactly do that in form -- there's no footnotes here -- but in effect, he gives us that info by sprinkling essays between chapters: his theory of translation (in its own way, the Dao is written plainly and Laozi spoke about the false nature of clever words, so Liu goes for plainness), the context of the book (_probably_ written during the Warring States era, with this and that ancient specimens found with their own differences from the received text), and why this book (a mix of his position as a Chinese-American who has known some of these maxims; and also his deep despair over the world).

I want to say, "Unlike other translations that try to hide the translator, this book gives us a view of Liu" -- but it doesn't give us that much more than what I said above. Yes, Liu is present throughout the text (well, more in the beginning, as he himself notes), dropping his favorite Daoist stories as glosses to the chapters, telling us what one verse means to him, but... I guess what I'm missing here, what I'd like to hear, is not just what brought Liu to this text, but what he takes out of it.

That is, Liu talks about Laozi's notions of doing rather than talking and not doing rather than doing, but, to put the finest possible point on it, how does that actually affect Liu's day-to-day life as a father, as a writer, as a software developer?

In other words: I came to this book a little bit like Liu came to it as a reader and translator: a bit adrift, troubled by ::gestures around::, but whereas Liu talks about how the work of translating helped him, I am not myself helped by this first read.

Of course (and now we get into the Laozi side of things), this is not exactly a self-help book. Well, wait -- I guess it kind of is, like even the dialogues of Socrates/Plato are self-help or self-improvement. And the comparison with some of the ancient, non-Sophist Greeks is not casual: Laozi seems to be arguing for harmony through a sort of simplicity, or an avoidance of the sort of learning that can make crooked things seem straight.

I'm not going to present here a primer of Daoist thought because I'm not qualified: this may be the first Daoist work I've read. (Hmmm, I'm probably not qualified to give primers on any topic, if that's my rubric. Except D&D, of course.)

Eh, fuck it: for Laozi, the way of harmony is to strive less--to accomplish more by not trying to accomplish more. The image that keeps coming back is that of water: not that of calm placidity, but of constantly fulfilling its path (go lower). The stories that keep coming up (these are Zhaungzhi's stories) are of a simple man showing the way to a man of more abstract learning: the butcher who never needs to sharpen his blade because he knows just where to cut, the wheelwright who points out to a king that no matter how many books the king might read on wheel-making, only doing the thing teaches how to do it; the man who refuses high office because he'd rather be a turtle in the wild dragging his tail in the mud than a dead shell in the palace.

There's a lot here that resonates with me and a lot that doesn't, and I'm trying to figure out what the difference is. I'm gonna hit up some pop culture here, but some of this reminds me of the character the Sphinx from Mystery Men: in that movie, the Sphinx often used chiasmus to sound deep, like "To learn my teachings, I must first teach you how to learn." Laozi does something much simpler in this translation: he says a thing that is obviously true (water obeys gravity -- like most things) or something that seems paradoxical (those who know Dao are "bright but don't dazzle"; to take the world, do nothing).

And that's... not terribly helpful or instructive. Of course, like Derrida, Laozi is not exactly trying to be instructive through words. But then... why write a book? Liu argues that Laozi is uninterested in cleverness or even words, but Daoist teaching as represented by this book is essentially parables, clever comparisons, and dorm room stumpers. ("Whoa, dude, how do I know that I'm not a butterfly dreaming it's a person?" Also: "dorm room stumpers" might sound condescending, so I want to be explicit that it's a wide genre that contains some truly interesting ideas about self and otherness.)

AND yet: I keep coming back to this idea of harmony, of doing by not-doing, which is intriguing. And here, I should maybe say that one of the post-its I have on my work computer says, "What happens if we don't do anything?" Because so much of code work is reactive--because an engineering mind, when presented with a problem, tries to solve it, rather than saying "no, that's not my problem" (as an old boss urged me to learn to say) or "we can solve that, but then we have X, Y, and Z." So in a way, I am primed for the lesson of dong by not-doing, by going fast by going slow (rather than by going fast and breaking things). There is something there worth thinking about, just as there is something there to the story of the wheelwright who does one thing well, or how it is better to stay hollow to preserve the paths open to you, or how you can be like water, which in spring carries, and in winter supports.

AND YET (again): there is the notion that the Dao-aware (Liu's preferred translation for what is elsewhere rendered as "sages") are in harmony with the world, in harmony with the Dao--but that this state is so hard for other people who strive and fight rather than achieving through not achieving. And I always hit this point because it seems so odd to me that what is natural is hard. It's the sort of cosmic worldview that is so easy for early Christians, say, for whom the natural is hard because of mankind's fallen nature in a fallen world. But why is the Dao so hard for people according to Daoists?

AND YET YET--I could go on like this for days, pulling out lines that are immediate bangers, worthy of t-shirts (the highest compliment) and then focusing on lines that seem so wrong or simply so embedded in their time as to be pointless to us (e.g., any time he talks about the ineffable feminine). I've taken a long time to write this review, and I won't go longer, but I will put this book back onto my nightstand, to read again in the near future--so I guess I like it.

[Sahitya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know nothing about Daoism except maybe some tidbits I’ve gleaned here and there from cdramas. But I probably still wouldn’t have read a translation of Dao De Jing, if not for Ken Liu, and he has managed to impress me again.

This is definitely not an easy book to understand, especially with our modern sensibilities, so I highly appreciated Liu giving his commentary in between about why he decided to translate it, what it means to him and how this process has changed him. The inclusion of some of Zhuangzi’s parables that beautifully illustrate the principles of Daoism were also a wonderful addition to this book.

For this first time, I read it pretty quickly and it’s very short and while I can’t say I grasped everything, I did feel a sense of wonder at some of the verses that really hit me. This is definitely a book but that needs a much slower reread from me, so that I can try to understand deeply each sentence. Maybe I can also ask some of my Chinese author friends if they have other book suggestions for me, if I want to do a deeper dive into Daoism.

Overall, while I can’t comment on the quality of translation, Ken Liu is a wonderful author and he made the Dao De Jing feel very accessible for a newbie like me. And if you are someone who likes books about world philosophies, you should surely give this a try.

[saysthequeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ken Liu never disappoints. The main reason why I picked up this book is to see what new insights a bicultural person can provide to an ancient text and new insights it gave me. Dao De Jing is definitely more than just yin and yang. The metaphor of water is so striking! Highly recommend for anyone who wants to have a new perspective about what an age-old religious text can offer.

[Siona Adams]

I don’t think I can really rate a book this lol. I will say, I don’t think it was as impactful or meaningful to me as I had expected it to be.

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifth time thru the DDJ. One of those books that I know will be a centerpiece of my core forever. Reading this interpretation by Ken Liu made me wish I had Dao De Jing study growing up every Sunday or something, as it’s a top 50 thing ever written.

A+ translation, A+ integration of Zhuangzhi, A+ project

Can’t wait for more of these by Ken Liu — so few people can straddle the East and West like he can. Brook Ziporyn is another if you’re looking for more translations (DDJ or Zhuangzhi)

[Matthew Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ken Liu's translation of Laozi's Dao De Jing is much more than an ancient text rendered in modern English. There are a number of ways to translate a text, from the 'crib' to the 'version', but Liu's position within this spectrum is unusual because of what might be called his commentary. Between many of the chapters of the translated texts, Liu presents his personal glosses, including his own versions of stories from Zhuangzi, another early Daoist writer. While sometimes I found Liu's glosses to be a little too plain in their English, for the most part they were insightful. I certainly feel that I come out of reading this book with a greater understanding of Dao, and a sense of how it can fit into my own life.

I read Liu's translation with Ursula K Le Guin's version in hand (and, incidentally, read Liu's introduction to The Language of the Night: Essays on Writing, Science Fiction, and Fantasy in the middle of the whole process). In Liu's personal passages, I picked up on a few allusions that may have been to Le Guin's version, but mostly I compared the different choices each had made in certain chapters. Sometimes, Liu's version would elucidate something about Le Guin's that made me appreciate her poetry more; at other times, I would find Liu's version interesting in a way that Le Guin's just wasn't. Such is the variety of translation, or rather, recomposing a work, presenting a version through one's own understanding and relationship with the work. I think having multiple versions gave my own experience with the work more depth.

[Ning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ken Liu's voice and journeying alongside him with this translation of the DDJ. The dense philosophy is deliberately translated as plainly as possible. Very Dao! This translation is not intended as an authoritative one, and it does not claim to be.

It is accompanied by Ken's musings on translation, Dao, historiography, and relevant parables. These elements help to contextualise the rich DDJ and provide a space for breather. I appreciated the nuances in translation and his notes on what he chose not to do, a point he repeatedly highlighted when talking about training AI LLMs with published works in his talks in Singapore (LLMs need to be trained on what NOT to do too!). This includes his choice NOT to translate Dao and De, and his rendering of Sheng Ren as "dao-aware" instead of the conventional "sage."

For someone with passable Chinese and who is bicultural, this text was very relevant. My past experiences trying to decipher the 四书五经 in both EN and CN meant I frequently felt like I never fully understood the Chinese version, while also struggling with the clunky English versions, which attempted to translate both meaning AND literary flair.

Therefore, Ken's plain interpretation, combined with his very accessible, thoughtful, yet not academically verbose notes, made this a very pleasant English/Chinese side-by-side read. I was able to appreciate the literary aspects from the original CN text anyway.

In the end, I suppose my main takeaway is to be humble and approach everything with a píng cháng xīn (平常心). My humble attempt at translating this would be to take everything in stride, and (hopefully) be one with Dao?

[Ethan Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me preface this review by saying, I am reading this casually, and can not vouch for the translation’s authenticity or am not going to touch a ton on the Dao De Jing and its ideas, more so on Ken Liu’s insight. Still, I was surprised by how poignant these ideas are over 2000 years later, especially regarding governments and leadership. The chapters can feel repetitive, but as Liu explains, the repetition is kind of the point. Lao Tzu’s idea on how to live a fulfilling life is in stark contrast to much of western philosophy and provides an interesting counter argument.
This translation by Ken Liu is by far my favorite interpretation of the Dao de Jing and the one that best guides someone not extensively knowledgeable about the philosophy of Lao Tzu through his worldview and teachings. I read this alongside a more traditional translation by James Legge and being able to compare both real time helped deepen my understanding.
Liu weaves historical context, his own insights, and stories by another philosopher named Zhuangzi into the text making this something more expansive than standard translations. More experienced or purist readers may find this a flaw but in my opinion, this approach really opens up the world of Taoism and makes it more tangible and relatable then other translations I have read. Additionally, if you have read any of Ken Liu's other work, you already know he is a remarkable writer, and even in a translation his ability to storytell shows through.
Overall this is a fantastic rendition and I would recommend it to anyone, even if Eastern Philosophy is not something they are even that interested in.

[splene · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We're prisoners of our passions. To burn like fire when excited, to congeal like ice when depressed, to be deeper than the abyss when still, to be flightier than racing clouds when on the move-there's nothing wilder than the human heart.”

Ken Liu’s elegant translation and interwoven side stories made Daoist text so much more enticing. I translated the English text back to Chinese as I flip through the pages, and felt an immense sense of peace with Ken Liu’s interpretation of Laozi’s wisdom. Ima reread a chapter everyday.

DO BY NOT DOING !!!

[David M.]

Well I have a number of thoughts on this. First of all, of this is Dao, Tom Bombadil is, I am fairly sure, a Daoist.

Liu’s remarks on translation philosophy alone are superb and worthwhile, and we Christians would do well to take some of those ideas into consideration. At some point I may take the time to elaborate on that somewhere.

[‎‧₊˚n o e l l e˚₊‧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

not new to dao, but new to the written worn on dao. thanks, ken.

many thanks to scribner and netgalley for the advance reader copy. this publication is set for release on 20 august 2024.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

8/28/2024 Wow, this is a lot of thoughts on my end to shape into a coherent review. Which you can expect tomorrow at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

8/29/2024 I probably would never have picked up this book if it weren't for the fact that Ken Liu is the translator. I have so many books and so little time, and reading about religion in my free time is not high on my list of priorities. However, I really enjoyed what he did with Liu Cixin's The Three Body Problem, and while I haven't had time to read his original speculative fiction yet, I very much want to. When I heard that he was tackling a classic of Chinese literature and philosophy, I absolutely had to take a look at the result.

I freely admit that I did not know much about the original Dao De Jing before starting this, so my reading of this book comes entirely from the perspective of a novice who is only mostly familiar with East Asian culture, having grown up in Southeast Asia myself (yes, there is a difference. Yes, I am better positioned to discuss the subject than the average Westerner. Yes, there is still so much I have to learn.) I also realized as I was reading this that I have no interest in critiquing the content of what's basically a foundational text for a major world religion. While such commentary may occasionally creep into this review, I really only want to talk about the experience of reading Mr Liu's interpretation, as well as the insight he gives to his own process of translation, in addition to the choices he makes to interject other anecdotes of Daoism into the text. For adequate compensation, I'd definitely take the considerable time I'd need to think out the parallels between my work as a reviewer navigating that challenge with the translator's as a conduit for messages left by the great. Alas that this website is primarily a labor of love of the written word, and not something that (yet, I hope) pays a living wage.

But love, ah love is one of the foundations of Daoism, at least as expressed in this text. Love and humility and a surrender to the order of the cosmos: those are the cornerstones laid out here for an existence of harmony and contentment. But, as Mr Liu himself points out near the beginning of the book, what is love? How do you explain the many ways in which a concept as large and varied as love can be expressed and aimed and felt, without the benefit of context and culture? How do you take a book written in ideograms and effectively translate its poetry and intimations to a people entirely removed in time and influence and language from the circumstances that originally birthed it?

Mr Liu tackles that challenge first by treating his work here less as a magisterial effort and more as a conversation with the original text. This approach makes the entire thing feel a lot more relatable and understandable for newbies like myself, while also adhering to Daoism's emphasis on humility and, to a certain extent, unknowability. The Dao is meant, if I'm reading this correctly, to be felt more than explained. But since language is the way human beings best convey emotions and thoughts, Mr Liu takes on the unenviable task of putting the nameless into words, acknowledging as he does so the fallibility of communication and the necessarily active role of both transmitter and receiver:

Moreover, the text, as a string of symbols, is not the locus of meaning--understanding comes at the moment when a reader's mind fills the text with their own language of experience and expectation and transforms the dead text into a living story, one unique to them and them alone.

In addition to grappling with words and form, Mr Liu takes time to illuminate both the historical and political context in which the originals were written and, later, popularized. I had never even realized that there was a significant difference between Daoism and Confucianism till this book, peppered as it is with Zhuangzi's acerbic putdowns of both Confucius and Legalism as a whole.

The only parts where I felt Mr Liu misstepped were when he became more advocate/apologist than conversationalist. The De Of Babies is one of the least convincing chapters of the Dao De Jing because it is clearly written in a way that either willfully misunderstands babies or is weirdly naive about their care. Mr Liu argues that Laozi is just trolling in an effort to get people to think, which I think is quite a stretch for a passage that claims that babies are unharmed by nature because they're "at the peak of harmony". I get what the text is driving at -- the ones least concerned with thoughts and most in touch with feelings are the ones most attuned to the cosmos -- but it's an unsuccessful metaphor that does not, in my opinion, enhance the message of the rest of the chapter. And that's fine. Frankly I wish that people were okay with religious texts sometimes just being weird and not great. The reverence, as Laozi strives again and again to tell us, should be for our great connection to the tapestry of being. So what if there are a few dropped stitches in one small part conveying the key to understanding it? The imperfect doesn't need to be justified or, worse, outright glorified so as to seem not to detract from the whole.

That aside, Mr Liu does an astonishingly great job of making the Dao De Jing accessible for people who've never really encountered it before and, I imagine, for those who already have but want to revisit its ideas. This is a wonderful book for any modern student of religion or philosophy, and certainly taught me a lot more than I imagined it would when I opened its pages. Recommended.

Laozi's Dao De Jing translated by Ken Liu was published August 20 2024 by the Scribner Book Company and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!

[Brian Shevory · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The path that can be walked is not the path that lasts;” Laozi
Many thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for providing an advanced copy of Ken Liu’s new interpretation of the Dao De Jing, a classic Daoist text from Laozi. As Liu’s subtitle states, this is more than a translation. This is a new interpretation for a transformative time. It’s been a long time since I’ve read the Dao De Jing, and although I’ve encountered separate sections, mostly through the terrific 365 Tao: Daily Meditations by Ming-Dao Deng, I’ve found that translations and the focus for the Tao can vary significantly. In order to compare, I also started to read another, older translation that I found in my Kindle Library. There’s no publication information or translator, and the text is much harder to decipher and make meaning than Ken Liu’s reinterpretation. To further help us understand the process of interpreting this work, Liu incorporates some analogous ideas and stories from Laozi’s fellow Daoist Zhuangzi, another philosopher-storyteller explained Daoist concepts with more storytelling and anecdotes than aphorisms and poetry. I think I’ve encountered his work as “Chuang-Tzu” since I recognized many of the stories and examples (The Emperor and the Tortoise Shell” and “The Butcher and The Knife”) recounted in these asides. Liu also includes biographical sketches of both Laozi and Zhuangzi, noting that these individuals’ works may be the result of a collective or passed down work rather than the work of any one person. Nevertheless, Liu’s contextual information helps to further understand some of the ideas and concepts that Laozi was possibly asking his readers/followers to grapple with. It was also interesting to learn how Liu came across the Dao De Jing during the pandemic, and how he explains that Laozi doesn’t really offer solace or lecture, but rather “invites the reader to have a conversation with his text, through which the readers must discover their own way.” I loved this aspect of the writing, recognizing that the ideas and poems (for lack of a better term) are presented as something that everyone will interpret in their own way. Liu also contextualizes Laozi’s world to help readers better understand the socio-political situation of pre-dynastic China, and how the desire for upward mobility and safety in society was somewhat antithetical to Laozi’s ideas about human relations. Liu shared how reading Laozi during the pandemic didn’t offer any kind of solace, but may have helped him question the events and consider other people’s motivations for comfort and security in times of instability. I loved this aspect of the book, and I can see how it would be an ideal text to read when there is uncertainty or instability.
Throughout the book, Liu shares his process of translating or interpreting the Dao De Jing, noting that translations sometimes reflect more about the translator than what the author actually intended. I found it interesting to learn that more written texts of the Dao De Jing were discovered in China in the 1970s, and this provided additional interpretations and ideas about the meaning. Liu also explains how other editions that were found offer different ways of presenting the ideas and poems. He notes that like other philosophers, Laozi was distrustful of written language (and language in general), explaining how it can limit the concepts and feelings that Laozi may have tried to impart to followers of Daoism. Whether it is the ever changing nature of print or the limitations of words, this interpretation and Liu’s brief essays about the different sections give us insight into the possible meanings and word play that Laozi may have used. I also found this fascinating since Chinese uses ideographs and the meaning can vary. Gaining these insights into the translations was helpful as well as fascinating. I loved learning more about the process of writing and considering meaning from a text that is more than 2000 years old.
At the end of the “non-introduction”, Liu reminds us not to read through the book too quickly, since we shouldn’t necessarily approach the book as a quick read or one that will offer main ideas in certain locations. This is where the stories from Zhuangzi help to supplement our understanding, but it also serves as a reminder that this is a book that we should continue to revisit at various times and points in our lives since we may interpret the ideas and poems in different ways and gain a different understanding and meaning of these verses.
I’m incredibly grateful that Scribner shared this text with me, and I’m also excited that I have this wonderful new “interpretation” of this important text that I can revisit.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Scribner for an advance copy of this new translation of a work that has given meaning to many people who have looked at the world and wondered, there has to be some sort of meaning to this, a meaning that many are still looking for today.

My father was a psychology major with minors in theology, philosophy and at the time what was called eastern religions and thought. So winning arguments was not easy in my household, especially during my teen years. My father never did anything with his degrees or interests, a combination of being draftable, a war, a wife and much uncertainty made sure of that. When offered a job with the city, with good pay, benefits, and a pension my father leapt at it, and never looked back. My father was always reading though, getting books from the library, finding them on the street or on subways, maybe paying money in tag sales. And he loved to quote, in his own Bronx way, with a lot of his own humour from books he read, thoughts of ancients scholars he admired. As I read this new translation of the Laozi's Dao De Jing: A New Interpretation for a Transformative Time translated by the writer Ken Liu, all I could think of was my Dad. I know he would have loved this, and I know I would have heard different sections over and over. Since this is beautifully written and arranged, this in no way would have been a chore, but a real gift.

Ken Liu like all of us had a strange time during the quarantine for COVID. So much so that for the first time since childhood Liu had a problem writing. Also COVID pointed out those things that we always suspected, but didn't want to think about. Stupid seems to have won. And, so did racism and hate. Liu was drawn to the idea of the Dao, and began slowly to translate, as he discusses in the book, which is told in a way that brings the messages, and the ideas of the Dao to life. The book starts with a chapter than an introduction. Liu does this throughout the book, discussing the difficulty of translating words that aren't lofty or high, but just common for the time. In fact many of these essays are just as informative as the teaching of Laozi, and I recommend the book just for these works. Slowly the idea of the Dao comes to life. One that in this time of judging our our way from those on social media, and leaders who think that being loud and dumb, makes them rulers, offers quite a different look at things.

I came to this book while my life was going through some interesting times, as one would say. My concentration was nonexistent, and things seemed to be going wrong at every turn. I could read a chapter of two, and lose my way, reading again and again what was there. I don't recommend this way of living or reading, but I think this brought the book home to me more, than reading this like a novel, or a self-help book. There is no promise of happiness, of not giving a darn at the end. Who could promise that? However there are stories, and ideas, and ways of thinking that put things in perspective. And the writing is so good, that one couldn't help but think better thoughts than I had before reading. I'll say again Ken Liu is a great writer and a translator. Known for his fantasy series, Liu also has not lost that human factor, that makes his writing so memorable. And useful. And enriching. And peaceful. Al least it was for me.

I have read a few translations, but this one even now stays within my thoughts, and even in some of the conversations I have had over the last few days. A really wonderful translation, and a book that offers thoughts about the world, how the book can help, and some interesting ideas on language, and our modern world. Plus I could see my Dad showing me different things, or explaining passages in his inexplicable way.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This version of Dao De Jing is more in line with Ursula K. Le Guin's Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way than Stephen Mitchell's Tao Te Ching. While Mitchell's will always hold the dearest spot in my heart and mind, I love the interpretations by Le Guin and now Ken Liu as well. The additional commentary provided by each is also fascinating. I looked forward to Liu's insights and perspectives just as much as I enjoyed his version of the Dao De Jing.

The included stories from Zhuangzi were very welcome additions and went a long way to providing more context and further explanation of the ineffability of Dao. Stories like those in Tales from the Tao: The Wisdom of the Taoist Masters and The Tao Speaks: Lao-Tzu's Whispers of Wisdom go a long way in this regard. Finding another source of such stories is a great boon.

I don't really know if Liu offers anything new to the ideas already present in the Dao De Jing. But that's besides the point. Any chance to revisit or be introduced to Dao is more than welcome. Whether it passes you by or takes hold of your life (like it did mine), you can't go wrong with any of the versions of Dao De Jing I listed above. Reading a version from a modern Asian American perspective is perhaps extra enlightening. And reading Liu's introduction to the Dao De Jing might feel familiar to anyone who lived through 2020.

And as this book was published in 2024, amidst a US Presidential election still embroiled in the aftermath of everything from 2020, the Dao De Jing provides plenty of reminders on how to live a fulfilling life together. So even though

Heaven's way is to take away from too much and make up for not enough.
But the worldly way is differente: it's to take away from not enough and give to already too much.

you should remind yourself

What's the best way out?
The way of heaven plays no favorites; it abides always with kindness.

I could go on, like I always do about the Dao De Jing, but just go pick up a copy and read it all for yourself. It won't take long. Then read it again, slower, mindfully. You can only really appreciate this work by letting it breath and wash over you.

[Justine Oh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Ken Liu’s interpretation of Laozi’s Dao De Jing a while ago—read till about page 20, then it quietly disappeared from my reading radar. Got distracted by online novels—some with decent depth, others... let’s just say time could’ve been better spent. But after a while, my brain always ends up craving books that make me think a little deeper.

I’ve always been fascinated by Dao De Jing. But as Laozi himself says in his beautifully abstract (and sometimes confusing) style—“One may be literate and still not truly ‘read’; may read yet not understand.” And then somewhere else he says, those who don’t know may actually know more than those who think they do. Sounds like da zhi ruo yu (大智若愚). Or maybe the moment you think you’ve got it, you’ve already stopped learning.

The main text of Dao De Jing isn’t long—about 5,100 to 5,500 words depending on the version. Not much at all when compared to internet novels that often run over 100,000 words. But it’s incredibly dense. Ken Liu’s 170-page version offers a more accessible interpretation, and I’m reading it alongside a Chinese version with a study guide—something similar to what I used when studying 医古文. That helps… a bit.

Still, my mind can’t help wandering—how some of Laozi’s ideas feel strangely aligned with Stephen Hawking’s cosmology, the Heart Sutra, Plato’s Forms, and Buddhist teachings on emptiness… though everything in this book centers around Dao. Maybe if I knew more, I could draw clearer connections. Or maybe if I knew more, I’d realise the connections don’t exist.

人可学而不知，知而不会，会而不能做。
And sometimes, doing nothing is more important than doing anything at all.

The more I read, the more silly I feel. But weirdly, the desire to keep reading just grows stronger. Confusing? Yes. But that’s exactly the kind of paradox that makes Dao De Jing so enduring and thought-provoking.


---

这本 Ken Liu 解读版的《老子的道德经》是我之前入手的，刚开始读到大概第20页就暂时被我搁置了。阅读时间都被网络小说占据了——有些还挺有深度，有些则是纯粹浪费生命。但每隔一段时间，我的脑子总会渴望回到那种能让我思考更深一点的书本。

我一直对《道德经》着迷。但正如老子在他那些抽象而有时令人费解的语句中提到的：一个人可以识字却未必能真正‘读书’；能看书，却未必能理解。”而在另一个地方他又说，“不知”者有时比“自以为知”者更接近真理。也许他说的就是“大智若愚”吧？或者，当一个人以为自己已经懂了，其实也就停止了继续学习的可能。

《道德经》正文其实并不长——根据版本不同，约在5,100到5,500字之间。跟那些动不动就十几万字的网文相比，根本不算多。但它的深度却不容小觑。Ken Liu 这本170页的英文版提供了一个比较容易吸收的入口，我也同时在看一本中文版配有学习导读的版本，跟我以前读医古文时用的那种工具书差不多，多少能帮上一点忙。

即便如此，我的脑子还是会不自觉地发散——老子的一些理论让我联想到霍金的宇宙论、《心经》的空性思想、柏拉图的理念世界，甚至佛教中的“无我”观……虽然这本书讲的是“道”，但它似乎触及了各类哲思的边缘。也许我若知道得更多，就能串起更多点；也可能知道得越多，反而越发现根本无法串起任何点。

人可学而不知，知而不会，会而不能做。
而有时候，无为，比任何“有为”都来得重要。

越读越觉得自己“笨”，但越“笨”越想继续读下去。混乱又矛盾，但这正是《道德经》的迷人与魅力所在。

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liu’s translation is what drew my interest in reading this classic text, so fittingly it’s his interspersed commentary and the illustrative fables he inserts from the Zhuangzhi that I enjoyed most. I found Laozi’s original text interesting too, but also full of language that is simultaneously obvious and contradictory on first exposure, with subtle meaning buried within it. This text has much to say about its own value as mere “words from a dead sage” but even on a quick surface level pass, I found it full of meaningful alternatives to the selfish hustling and self-involved ambition that’s often taken for granted.

“The text, as a string of symbols, is not the locus of meaning. Understanding comes at the moment when a reader’s mind fills the text with their own language of experience and expectation and transforms the dead text into a living story.”

“Like many other classics, I simply assumed I knew it through its translations, quotations, fixed expressions, dead metaphors.”

“The name that can be spoken is not the name that endures. Conversely, we think what cannot be spoken about does not exist. But the most important knowledge is never reducible to words.”

“All this I learned through my hands. My knowledge cannot be captured in words.”

“The universe is ultimately too grand, too inhumanly scaled. How then to retain meaning at the human scale, to feel at one with the movement of the stars, even as we love, and laugh, and cry, and give birth, and fade away? That is the only question worth asking in all of philosophy.”

“Favor takes power from you. When you don’t have it you crave it; when you do have it, you dread losing it.”

“Abstractions are like mannequins, capable of modeling any outfit you please. It is not the words, but something both smaller and grander than the words that truly matter.”

“Winning against others requires force, but winning against yourself requires strength.”

“That weakness wins over strength, and softness wins over hardness are truths everyone knows, yet no one can put into practice.”

“Words are not the same as wisdom.”

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ken Liu's translation of the Dao De Jing offers a profound and insightful interpretation of this timeless classic. Throughout the entirety of the book, Liu skillfully captures the essence of Daoist philosophy, presenting it in a manner that is both accessible and thought-provoking.

One of the key strengths of Liu's translation lies in his ability to convey the depth and complexity of the text while maintaining clarity and coherence. Through his careful selection of language and imagery, Liu brings to life the rich tapestry of ideas contained within the Dao De Jing, inviting readers to contemplate the fundamental principles of Daoism and their relevance to everyday life.

Liu's translation is characterized by its poetic beauty and lyrical prose, which enhances the reader's engagement with the text and encourages reflection on its deeper meanings. His attention to detail and sensitivity to nuance ensure that each verse resonates with profound wisdom and insight, making the Dao De Jing a captivating and enriching read for both newcomers and seasoned practitioners of Daoism alike.

In addition to its literary merits, Liu's translation also serves as a valuable resource for those seeking to deepen their understanding of Daoist philosophy. Through his insightful commentary and annotations, Liu provides valuable context and interpretation, shedding light on the historical and cultural background of the text and elucidating its relevance to contemporary issues and concerns.

Overall, Ken Liu's translation of the Dao De Jing is a masterful work that offers a compelling interpretation of this ancient Chinese classic. Through his careful craftsmanship and deep appreciation for the wisdom of the text, Liu invites readers on a journey of self-discovery and enlightenment, illuminating the path to a life of harmony, balance, and inner peace.

[Elena L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dao births; De nourishes."

In LAOZI'S DAO DE JING, Liu shares his reflections on reading 'Dao De Jing', offering textured interpretations while showing the impact of translations.

Through excerpts from 'Dao De Jing' (道德經) and Liu's personal retelling of parables from other Chinese philosophers such as Zhuang zi, Liu unpeels 'Dao De Jing' like no other. Starting with a passionate introduction of the well-known (Chinese) philosopher Laozi 老子, the reader is invited to have a raw encounter with the Chinese culture, then Liu guides one to dig the unconventional essence of Daoism (道).

I found illuminating the many manifestations of 'Dao', the most interesting is its nature in parallel with the character of water, which flow reaches the land of patience and acceptance. Contrasting with our usual perception, historical marks of the ambition cast over the words and as one converses with the text and Liu, one unconsciously opens oneself to the senses.

One finds in the simplicity of Daoism the path to tranquility, which incompatibility with the concepts of power mostly requires another state of mind. Liu is clear at Laozi's intentions, however the challenge to cover the multitude of abstractions and endless depth might require effort from some readers. For Dao's words are nothing but intentional, the sharp observations on joy can feel otherworldly yet sustained by wisdom. Liu's few personal notes aim to maintain the integrity of the founding text and this motivates me to also visit 'Dao De Jing' in the original language.

Loaded with enough context, LAOZI'S DAO DE JING is about harmonizing Dao. Those wanting to have a deep understanding of Daoism (道) and obsessed with the language will delight in forming their own interpretations.

[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Scribner books . All opinions are my own ]

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have Red Pine's rendering on my prize shelf, and Jonathan Star's DIY kit. I've looked at half a dozen other translations as serious resources when trying to teach the rudiments of Taoism in a college Comparative Religions course. And the Daodejing ranks among my desert island picks. So coming to another take, spawned during the COVID lockdown by a restless Chinese-American speculative fiction writer, I found I'd downloaded this on Audible via actor BD Wong's wry, genial, and gnomic delivery.

Which is a great way to revisit this. I'd recommend reading the 81 verses first, hut listening to the quirky, restive, and intentionally unevenly interspersed commentary--which diminishes as the text progresses--allows us to gradually immerse our "Western" selves into an encounter with this 2500-year-old collection, although who knows how long before these teachings had been circulating in oral form? Again, why hearing this version fits it. Left only on the page, this energy might not resonate.

Some have chided Liu for egotism--my Dao's better than their Dao--given he's not a scholar (as far as I aver) of classical grammar, but asserting his voice among predecessors either skilled or shallow seems sensible as he nudges his brash way into the crowd, insisting on his eclectic, associative, and reader-reception approach. I'm still curious how he relied on particular editions and how he aligned his presumably "contemporary" fluency in his mother tongue with the formidable learning preceding any attempt by a newcomer who claims his narrative captures the gist of this enigmatic sage's spirit.

[Book Club of One · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2020, modern science fiction writer of hopeful futures, Ken Liu has a problem. It was the COVID pandemic lock down and he was not able to write. While he struggled for some time, he eventually found solace in reading Laozi's Dao De Jing, a work integral to Chinese cultures and languages and central to religious and philosophical Taoism (or Daoism). And despite its culturally import, Liu had never read it fully, and found it defied expectations. It also encouraged Liu to argue, imagine or in some way engage directly with the content, spurring creativity, and while Liu did not feel ready to write a new story, he was moved to translate the Dao De Jing.

That translation is what this work presents, but it is more than a traditional translation. Instead the chapters of the Dao De Jing are sometimes alternated with Liu's explanation of the choices and wording chosen for the translation, as well as drawing from other stories or sources to enforce a point or provide a related tangent.

It is a work one could read quickly, but to do so misses the point. It a work for contemplation, to consider, the language is at many points purposefully opaque or seeming contradictory. Liu's translation of Laozi's work does what any such translation should, brings the content of a work to a different readership while keeping the feeling and meaning of the original text.

Recommend for readers of philosophy, religion or Chinese religion and culture.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[Marja Coons-Torn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've tried to read the Dao De Jing several times but never was engaged enough to stick with it. Ken Liu’s new interpretative is finally drawing me in. Liu places the introduction after the first chapter. He explains but does not clarify. Other stories, biographical bits, definitions, timelines, etc., Liu has scattered throughout the text. I believe I will finish this time as there are many things to lure me through.

A brief biography of Laozi comes immediately after chapter three. It is and it isn't a biography, however, as nothing definitive is known of Laozi. Again, Ken Liu explains but does not clarify. After reading it, my reaction is that every politician, indeed every person in a position of power, should read this new interpretation of this ancient text. Many, if not most, would not understand it, but perhaps it would at least cause them to pause their self-serving bickering. I have never known such an age of childish bickering, but Laozi says this time is not unique. The chaos it brings has been brought before.

Liu often uses stories or parable from Zhuangzi to illustrate the Dao as Laozi offers it. I like his explanations. They don't necessarily make anything clearer, but they make it more accessible

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

TL;DR: A very friendly exploration of a philosophy I’ve heard of but didn’t know many details.
Source: Netgalley! Thank you so much! I also purchased my own copy after completion.

Structure: This includes essays from Ken Liu about the translation and his thoughts on several of the chapters which really helped add to the overall message and understanding.
Readability: This is very newbie friendly (as that’s what I am).

Thoughts:

I’ve heard in passing of Laozi’s Dao Di Jing, and definitely heard passing jokes about ‘Daoism’ but I’ve never actually had any details or information on it. This new translation by Ken Liu was a very beginner friendly place to start. He translates what seems to be the core lessons from Laozi with essays exploring and explaining these lessons. These also include stories from a contemporary/teacher of Daoism that help to explain.

I was honestly a bit nervous going into this, I’m not going to lie. I love Ken Liu, which was the entire reason I tried this. I’m very happy I did, as I stated he did a fantastic job with the translation here. He also talked about what translating this was like, some of the struggles he faced and how he came to understand the text as he did so. I appreciated all of that as it added more structure to my own understanding.

Overall I definitely recommend this if you’re perhaps interested in a very beginner friendly place with Daoism. I knew nothing going in, and by the end felt much more comfortable with the idea and philosophy. I will be rereading and expanding my reading before saying I’m at all knowledgeable about it but this was a great starting spot.

5 out of 5 stars

[Ethan Smestad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Ken Liu

Studied Daoism in college; reading Zhuangzi, love Benjamin Hoff, read Le Guin’s translation before this one. I love reading translations and commentaries by imaginative fiction writers, as one myself; I find it very interesting how the sensibilities of Laozi appeal and resonate with story-tellers who, while indulging in imaginary dreams and fantasies, nonetheless are above all committed to speaking truthfully, to feeling and experiencing truthfully. DDJ is a work that is wise, yet humorous, full of paradox, contradiction, poetry, yet also gives no precious importance to poetry, or any of the things we value in human life. Reading DDJ is an exercise in liberation, of being made aware of the boxes your mind encloses the world in, and if one is lucky enough to see the mind’s self-imposed cage, one is welcome to stumble out like a newborn baby and be moved by Dao and De. Ken Liu’s translation and notes are sensitive and precise, and I appreciate the nature of his individual interpretation and the feeling that he is sharing in something without in any way trying to be an authority. It’s na invitation to a lovely conversation, the kind that lands in content silence, with nothing more needing to be said.

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laozi's Dao De Jing is my very first non-school-assigned experience related to reading Eastern philosophy, and was inspired by passages in Oliver Burkeman's The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking that I found intriguing.

I am grateful for the personal commentary and parables from other philosophers that translator Ken Liu scattered throughout the chapters. These side notes deliberately became less frequent as the text progressed, as Liu believed he had explained the language enough for readers to begin to make their own interpretations. But, as a complete beginner, I wish there had been a few more. I struggled mightily with what appeared to be Laozi stating that one should "close" the mind and not seek to learn, as well as what appeared to be a call to "do nothing." I guess the point is to make me investigate more - but isn't that the opposite of what my previous sentence says?

[Joshua Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been carrying around a translation of the Tao Te Ching from Shambala Press since I was seventeen. The book was a gift from a fellow student, who left me one of the sweetest notes I’ve ever received as an inscription. Had I been more keen, I would have noticed that perhaps she had a crush on me, and yet this gift has been on every adventure and calamity I’ve been on for the last 34 years. When I return to it, I’m always warmed by the gesture and excited to find the bookmarks left from what stood out to me from my last reading—sometimes years between.

Ken Liu’s translation, Laozi’s Dao De Jing is a personal exploration of Laozi’s text, its many sources, and the history and world around it. Having read so many of his previously translated works, and his original works, I was keen to immerse myself in what he found. His notations and subtle differences to many other scholarly translations felt so present and unearthed. I felt a similar sort of warmness in reading this interpretation as the one I’ve carried all these years, which is to say I have received it as a gift and look forward to revisiting, contemplating, and continuing my own conversation with this text.