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The Activist's Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for a Modern Revolution
“[An] inspiration.”
— Alice Walker, The New York Times Book Review
Change and anger are in the air. Looking for answers to today’s wrenching challenges, William Martin turns to the Tao Te Ching and finds that while Taoism is known for its quiet, enigmatic wisdom, the Tao can also have the cleansing force of a rushing river.
Through his interpretation of this ancient Chinese text, Martin elucidates revolutionary messages condemning power-seeking and greed. He emphasizes that humans have a “natural virtue” that can help them heal the planet; shows how Taoism’s simplicity can be subversive and its flexibility a potent force; and reassures that “when injustice is the rule, justice always lies in wait.”
Provocative and stirring, Martin’s Tao flows within and through those who ride the waves of anger and frustration and gently guides them to true freedom.
“We have learned the secret of Injustice feeds our determination. Hate increases our love. Wounds bring forth our healing, and fear uncovers our courage and serenity.”
— from The Activist’s Tao Te Ching
— Alice Walker, The New York Times Book Review
Change and anger are in the air. Looking for answers to today’s wrenching challenges, William Martin turns to the Tao Te Ching and finds that while Taoism is known for its quiet, enigmatic wisdom, the Tao can also have the cleansing force of a rushing river.
Through his interpretation of this ancient Chinese text, Martin elucidates revolutionary messages condemning power-seeking and greed. He emphasizes that humans have a “natural virtue” that can help them heal the planet; shows how Taoism’s simplicity can be subversive and its flexibility a potent force; and reassures that “when injustice is the rule, justice always lies in wait.”
Provocative and stirring, Martin’s Tao flows within and through those who ride the waves of anger and frustration and gently guides them to true freedom.
“We have learned the secret of Injustice feeds our determination. Hate increases our love. Wounds bring forth our healing, and fear uncovers our courage and serenity.”
— from The Activist’s Tao Te Ching
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2016
15 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
William Martin
18 books159 followersWilliam Martin is an award-winning author whose work expresses the practical wisdom and inspiration of Taoist thought for contemporary readers. He is the spouse of Nancy, the father of Lara and John, and the grandfather of Jillian and Andrew.
A native of California, Bill graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Electronic Engineering. After four years working for the Navy as a research scientist, he returned to graduate school. He earned a Masters degree from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He did not find himself fitting within the Christian Church clergy structure so, guided by his love of the Tao Te Ching, he began to seek his own way. He spent two decades in private practice as a Marriage and Family Counselor in Phoenix, Arizona, and taught counseling for many years at Rio Salado College in Phoenix. He has been a student of the Tao for four decades.
In 1998 he and Nancy decided to simplify their lives so they sold most of their possessions, left their careers, gathered their remaining belongings into a 5X8 foot U-Hall trailer and moved to the Oregon coast. Nancy worked at a small Inn and Bill wrote a book. In 1999, after a year of strolling along the beaches, walking through the forests, and feeling the intense joy of the natural world, they moved to the mountains of Northern California. They live a somewhat private existence, connecting with their close friends and with their individual work. They walk, read, enjoy qigong and cherish their life together. Nancy is a traditional bookbinder, restoring old books and creating hand-bound editions of new ones (www.nwbookbinding.com). Bill continues to write and paint in the Taoist tradition.
A native of California, Bill graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Electronic Engineering. After four years working for the Navy as a research scientist, he returned to graduate school. He earned a Masters degree from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He did not find himself fitting within the Christian Church clergy structure so, guided by his love of the Tao Te Ching, he began to seek his own way. He spent two decades in private practice as a Marriage and Family Counselor in Phoenix, Arizona, and taught counseling for many years at Rio Salado College in Phoenix. He has been a student of the Tao for four decades.
In 1998 he and Nancy decided to simplify their lives so they sold most of their possessions, left their careers, gathered their remaining belongings into a 5X8 foot U-Hall trailer and moved to the Oregon coast. Nancy worked at a small Inn and Bill wrote a book. In 1999, after a year of strolling along the beaches, walking through the forests, and feeling the intense joy of the natural world, they moved to the mountains of Northern California. They live a somewhat private existence, connecting with their close friends and with their individual work. They walk, read, enjoy qigong and cherish their life together. Nancy is a traditional bookbinder, restoring old books and creating hand-bound editions of new ones (www.nwbookbinding.com). Bill continues to write and paint in the Taoist tradition.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 26, 2022
This book says it's about activism and revolution, but usually urges you to take less direct action and just kind of join the revolution when it seems to be the way things are going. If we're all just waiting for someone else to get it off the ground, who's supposed to actually do that work?
I've been casually reading about Taoism over the past few years, and maybe I still don't understand it. Still, I get a sour feeling after a good half of these poems, and meditating on them doesn't seem to help.
I've been casually reading about Taoism over the past few years, and maybe I still don't understand it. Still, I get a sour feeling after a good half of these poems, and meditating on them doesn't seem to help.
February 7, 2017
This thoughtful little book brought me so much peace, especially in times like these. Martin illustrates an alternative to the traditional revolution that can confound as well as inspire, but at the core of it lies an effective combination of the spirit of Taoism with the spirit of modern revolution.
December 5, 2021
5/5 for this delightful book. I’ve been reading various versions and adaptations of the Tao Te Ching and this book specifically caught my interest. When an activist is fighting forces much stronger than himself, what can he do? What path must one take in the face of oppression? Do we meet oppression with oppression? Rigidity with rigidity? Violence with violence? Doesn’t an eye for an eye make the whole world blind? Through the Tao, Bill Martin explains that meeting oppression with oppression will inevitably make us the oppressors. He explains the pitfalls of rigidity, the downfall of desire and the transformative power of simplicity.
May 7, 2019
Reading it will renew you. Acting on it will renew the world.
Read
December 21, 2024Dnf at 80%
September 17, 2025
In a world filled with uncertainty and turmoil, William Martin finds solace in the timeless wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, and discovers that its ancient teachings hold the key to unlocking humanity's innate potential for goodness and transformation.
Through his profound and insightful interpretation, Martin reveals the Tao's revolutionary message of hope and empowerment, reminding us that true freedom and justice are always within reach. By embracing the simplicity and flexibility of Taoism, we can tap into its transformative power and become a force for positive change in the world, navigating even the most turbulent waves of anger and frustration with courage, wisdom, and heart. Uplifting and profoundly inspiring, Martin's Tao flows within and through us all, guiding us toward a brighter future filled with promise, hope, and limitless possibility.
Through his profound and insightful interpretation, Martin reveals the Tao's revolutionary message of hope and empowerment, reminding us that true freedom and justice are always within reach. By embracing the simplicity and flexibility of Taoism, we can tap into its transformative power and become a force for positive change in the world, navigating even the most turbulent waves of anger and frustration with courage, wisdom, and heart. Uplifting and profoundly inspiring, Martin's Tao flows within and through us all, guiding us toward a brighter future filled with promise, hope, and limitless possibility.
February 1, 2019
Extraordinary book. Beautiful and inspiring and calming. Highly recommended
December 23, 2019
reminds me of a book by Coelho about the Warrior's Manual
September 4, 2022
Quick and painless. Awesome correlations between action and peace.
May 22, 2025
This book is truly a gem. It is only available as an e-book. Buy it. Read it slowly. One entry per day. Savor it. Become a revolutionary.
January 25, 2017
Love the Tao and love the fresh take on it with current events in mind.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews