The Four Chinese Classics: Tao Te Ching, Chuang Tzu, Analects, Mencius

Hinton’s award–winning experience translating a wide range of ancient Chinese poets makes these books sing in English as never before. But these new versions are not only inviting and immensely readable—they also apply much-needed consistency to key philosophical terms in these texts, lending structural links and philosophical rigor heretofore unavailable in English. Breathing new life into these classics, Hinton’s new translations will stand as the definitive texts for our era. Perhaps the most broadly influential spiritual text in human history, Lao Tzu’s is the source of Taoist philosophy, which eventually developed into Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism. Equally influential in the social sphere, Confucius’ is the source of social wisdom in China. The is the wild and wacky prose complement to the . And with its philosophical storytelling, the adds depth and complexity to Confucius’ vision.