The Tao at Work: On Leading and Following

Chinese philosopher lays the wisdom of 2500 verses at the feet of today's thoughtful business professional. Shows how to step back from the day-to-day grind, gain perspective, and rediscover how to thrive.

In today's world, where many of us feel strapped with responsibility yet pressured and uncertain, the search for clear direction and personal courage can be a difficult one. This new interpretation of ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu's classic, the Tao te Ching, offers the practical wisdom to lighten your burden and freshen your spirits as you travel on your journey. Now available in paperback, The Tao at Work adapts each of the eighty-one timeless passages from the Tao te Ching to life in the modern world, using humorous contemporary parables to illuminate their applications. Anyone in transition or struggling to find the balance between work and life will discover the powerful uses of the Tao te Ching, and come to a place where walls turn into doors, and serenity and confidence reign.

Library Journal

Over 2500 years old, Lao-tzu's Tao te Ching is a classic manual on living and wisdom and, after the Bible, the most widely translated book in the world. Herman's fresh approach to translating the Tao is to adapt this enigmatic philosophy to the contemporary workplace, with his own unique interpretation of these 81 verses. His intriguing parables in organizational settings attempt to illuminate the teachings of the Tao and are as puzzling as Lao-tzu's original powerful philosophy. Stephen Mitchell's interpretation of the Tao (Harper & Row, 1988) is one of the better literal translations of these verses and should accompany Herman's workplace applications. Herman's approach may appeal to today's New Age thinking about organizations; recommended accordingly to philosophy and business collections.-Dale Farris, Groves, Tex.

Stanley M. Herman is a leading management consultant who has won acclaim for his pioneering insights in the field of authenticity and personal power in the world of work. He has spent twenty-five years in the study of Eastern and Western wisdom, from which he provides contemporary applications to his clients. Herman is the author of The People Specialists (1968), Authentic Management (1977), and A Force of Ones (Jossey-Bass, 1994).