Laozi’s Classic of Virtue and the Dao for the 21st Century

This book is a rare blend of scholarship and unexpectedly colorful illustrations! It contains eloquent dialogues not only between East and West, but also across different schools of thought in the East. Playing with language is front and center through much of this text, as Ho deftly describes the challenges of correctly translating the central but difficult to convey Daoist concept of wuwei. Philosophical Daoism is characterized as the counterculture of China-and in a way, this entire book is a celebration of deep counterculture, connecting Laozi's Daoism to Carl Jung's idea of the shadow. There is a poetic, and sometimes beautiful, sometimes scholarly weave between scholarship and self-realization here. -James H. Liu, Professor of Psychology, Massey University, Wellington Region, New Zealand This book is a timely publication, especially for those who are in search of ancient wisdom to confront the unprecedented existential threats to humankind in the present age. The author has succeeded to translate Laozi's classic faithfully, whilst retaining its poetic elegance. This is a triumph in cultural transmission! -Evelin G. Lindner, Founding President, Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies David Y. F. Ho is an accomplished social-clinical psychologist with lifelong experience working at the interface of Chinese and Western cultures. In this riveting book, he guides us into the very heart of the Chinese ideological traditions of Daoism and Confucianism with penetrating insight, applying his professional acumen and linguistic facility to unpackaging these difficult texts. Dr. Ho succeeds in his mission of making his translations and interpretations applicable to its audience and to 21st century life. It is a text that I wish I had available in my early encounters with Chinese culture and its members. All readers of Laozi's Classic of Virtue and the Dao for the 21st Century: A Psychological Study will find their understanding opened and their hearts enlarged in sympathetic resonance. Such books are life changing! -Michael H. Bond, Visiting Chair Professor of Psychology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University