This version retains fewer of the original Chinese words than Warren Scott C's other available translation, in which he has left several of the Chinese words untranslated. As some readers might prefer to have more of these words converted to English, this first version continues to be available. This is a translation to English of the Tao Te Ching using the oldest available manuscripts as sources and one which applied a rigorous translation and language-reconstruction process consisting of multiple steps. This included a thorough examination of the etymological roots of each individual character used, as well as researching historical and cultural context to identify potential language drift, copyist/scribal errors, or later edits. The primary source texts were Guodian Bamboo, and Mawangdui Silk, A and B. as well as using Heshang Gong and Fu Yi as a supplemental texts when needed. So, if you have interest in Taoism, Ancient China, or even philosophy in general, this little book of Laozi's remains a treasure and is definitely worth reading.