Lao Tse

The seemingly simple and succinct aphorisms in Tao Te Ching convey deep universal truths. This essential work in the history of ideas is an invitation for readers to serenely reflect on their own selves and their place in the world.

Tao Te Ching

Ernest Hemingway

Old Man and the Sea

Sanne

‘I’d like to buy some [luck] if there's any place they sell it,’ he said.

The punishment of the hook is nothing. The punishment of hunger, and that he is against something that he does not comprehend, is everything.

Let him think I am more man than I am and I will be so.

He was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of true pride.

MOST LOVED. MOST RED. Ten must-read modern classics. '"But man is not made for defeat," he said. "A man can be destroyed but not defeated."' In the baking sun, in a small village off the coast of Havana, lives an old fisherman named Santiago. It has been eighty-four days since he last caught a fish. The locals call it bad luck. Refusing to accept defeat, Santiago sets off in his tiny skiff alone, fishing further out than ever before. It is here, over a number of days, that he, his will and his character are tested beyond imagination. Faced with bad weather, hunger and thirst, the old man finds himself in battle with a giant marlin, a fish bigger than any to have been caught before. Nature is not kind and gentle in this fable, nor is Hemingway. You hold in your hands one of the very best pieces of writing to have ever been created.

The Old Man and the Sea

Patricia Melova

The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway’s most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal—a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream, on the water for months without a catch, but refusing to stop trying.

Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the timeless theme of courage and commitment in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss. Written in 1952, this hugely successful novella confirmed his talent and presence in the literary world and played a large part in his winning the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Yeah there was some suffering but it’s not like he had to juggle unemployment and Fortnite in the same day. Smh this mf overreacting for clout. 

Miles Silverstein

El viejo y el mar

Rocío de la Hera

lo leí en una hora, me rompió y arregló el alma en 160 páginas. Libro sobre la soledad y el no rendirse ante la adversidad, por más difícil que sea y por más vencido que te sientas. Hemingway poeta perdido te amo

Evan

My first Hemingway, it's pretty amazing the man can get a lot of story out of so few elements. An old man, his small boat at sea, and a big fish. It's nothing super exciting and yet he makes this short read a pretty high-stakes thrill.
 I recommend the book to everyone, I think it's a fun journey that despite the boring sound of being mostly a man's inner contemplations of his current situation and life. I enjoyed it a lot and intend to give it as a gift.

Itzel

We had to read this for school this year.

I didn't like it.

I almost never like books that we have to read for school.

But I just found this one boooring. Like, really, an entire book to describe how long it took to fish a damn fish.

I understand that it's supposed to illustrate about, idk, perseverance, and stuff like that, but it was WAY too SLOW for my taste. So thank you.

It was weird how he kept talking to his hands.

It was like Gollum.

The Old Man and the Sea is much more than the story of a fisherman or an American-style hero. It is a fable about the process of individuation, with the wise old man, the ego fish, the sea mind and the divine child.

Hygor Zorak

I have the softest spot for stories like this

Clay Carey

Christine

read at 12am on sunday night 
class was literally the next morning

in which a book can drag on for ages... and ages... and people go crazy and feesh and santa mango and a U h

video!
much better.

Vicky  Nuñez 

I loved this book. I thought it was brilliant. This is the first book I ever read of Hemingway and I am truly impressed and can't wait to read more of him.

about time i read this piece of hemingway’s. it’s so him and oh boy do i love that old man.  

lily taggart

lily

The Old Man and The Sea is meant to be simple and straightforward, devoid of any real symbolism; however, that doesn't mean there aren't underlying thoughts to be had with each chapter. The mundaneness allows for clear dynamicism in the characters, how they think and interact with each other. It would be foolish to expect a full blown novel with explicit detail from Hemingway. He expects you to muse and digest the simplicity.

Natalie

My opinion of this book is more of a testament to Hemingway's significant influence on American literature: it reads like an archetypical American fiction. An engaging read, nevertheless, as the struggle between the old man and the obstacles he faces at sea and the old man's musings on aging are well described.

Set in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Havana, Hemingway's magnificent fable is the story of an old man, a young boy and a giant fish. In a perfectly crafted story, which won for Hemingway the Nobel Prize for Literature, is a unique and timeless vision of the beauty and grief of man's challenge to the elements in which he lives.

Ryan 

so i just read 128 pages about an old man...fishing for 3 days straight. that was so pointless, i would say.

Der alte Mann und das Meer

Leon Beckert

Charles Scribner Jr. single handedly turns a five star book into a horrible experience by putting a spoiler that disclose the entire story in the foreword. I would love to give five but given the circumstances, I can‘t.

you should never go to the sea by yourself (yes, even though you're introvert and love to speak to yourself).

(to the introverts out there, recommend this book to your extrovert friends)

Hooman Rostami

I get it is metaphor, I get it inspired a generation of American writers, I get it got Pulitzer Prize, but it is bad! I don’t agree with the message and I don’t get his obsession with the DiMaggio guy! It got some good prose, and that’s it!

iamazoo

the first 3/4 of the book was a real slog and not my vibe at all - i was just continuously losing steam (not unlike the old man himself!). but the last little bit really SLAPS. overall i guess it’s worth the hype. excellent if you want to learn some boat / fishing vocabulary.

Laura Mauler

Stories about old people make my heart sad.

Aamna

Very vivid but a little too slow for my taste

Lila R E

** spoiler alert **
           i can’t believe he killed the fish.

Laozi

The original text of the philosophy of Taoism, the classic Chinese guide to spiritual well-being is presented with a new translation

Suat ATAN

Eski bir bilgelik kitabı. Okuması keyifli, düşündürücü. Altını çizeceğiniz çok yer çıkacaktır. Çok anlamılığı seviyor ve hüküm vermeden yolculuk yapmayı seviyorsanız okunası bir kutsal kitap daha.

matej yangwao

** spoiler alert **
           Trick of Tao is that it leaves interpretation on one's, thus everyone who go through have very own interpretation of it. 

≥The essence of Taoism is in the harmony and quiet

≥Taoism, on the other hand, focuses on complete opposites. It highlights the value of inner freedom, constant cultivation of the self, meditation, and staying in touch with the harmonies of the cosmos. Confucianism is harsh and rigid, but Taoism is soft and gentle.

≥The leading idea of Taoism is the belief that there is a simple way of attaining a healthier and better life, one that is gentle, kind, and harmonious.

≥To be in touch with Tao is to be in harmony with the fundamental laws of the universe.

≥Taoism denounces False Knowledge that weighs us down — excessive boundaries, superstitions, prejudices.

 ≥It is vital to remember that everyone measures the world by their own standards and to respect those differences.

≥The true and highest knowledge is to know that one does not and cannot know everything. It is to understand the limitations of words and the range of human comprehension. Accept the not-knowing and treat it as a gift.

≥To find Tao is to find the wordless truth within oneself.

≥Injustice, inequality, and constant contending have overrun our world. Those who have nothing crave to own things; those who own things crave to own other people. The rich look down on the poor, and the poor resent the rich.

≥Taoism suggests that if there were no money or goods to thrive for, people would leave behind their harmful ambitions, and if there were no fame and glory to reach for, people would abandon envy and jealousy.

≥Never dwell on the material things that are out of your reach. It is best to concentrate on what is already inside you — your soul, heart, and mind.

Wuwei, or strategic non-action is way to learn the value of stillness by observing the natural world.

≥Above all, Taoism also treasures Non-Action or wuwei. This isn’t, of course, a lazy attitude of literally doing nothing. Strategic Non-Action is an effortless, relaxed attitude towards life. Taoists accomplish a great deal by being in harmony with Tao and nature, and they find peace in the calmness of wuwei.

≥Instead of springing into frantic action, they observe the natural world and learn the value of stillness. Only when we know the importance of this can our actual doings be natural, balanced, and beneficial.

 ≥Only when we know the importance of this can our actual doings be natural, balanced, and beneficial.

≥Instead of striving to achieve a goal, we should take things as they come; we should let them unfold. If we succeed, well and good. If we fail, that is good too.


≥Another interesting Taoist principle is the idea of Non-Contending. Taoism encourages us to learn through the world around us. Virtually every technological accomplishment results from observing nature and then applying that knowledge elsewhere.

≥Non-Contending is a type of Non-Action and can be beautifully observed in how water behaves. By staying still and patient, water can conquer anything and benefit a myriad of other things. It is never in competition; it never strives to get to the top, glad to flow beneath plants and soil giving them life. Taoists encourage water-like behavior, and just as water brings moisture to every place, they treat everyone as equals, whether a friend or a stranger.

≥Those who embraced Tao are ready to give and expect nothing in return. Just like water, they do not strive to enrich themselves or benefit from others, and in doing so, they endure.

≥Like Tao, we can also be empty vessels containing everything and nothing simultaneously.

≥Taoists believe in the cyclical nature of things — the sundown must always follow sunrise; success must follow failure and vice versa. This calls for the need to learn how to let things go. A great example of this skill is hidden in the nature of a spring. It never tries to keep its waters to itself and always knows when to let them flow free. Similarly, we must also learn to move on and leave behind our triumphs and shortcomings alike. Dwelling on them does absolutely no good.

≥That which is filled to the brim will spill. That which is overly sharpened will break. Such extremes bring their own downfall. Eschew them. No one can hold on to wealth forever.

≥To let go means letting things take their natural course and surrender to the inevitable cycle of life. The path to true Tao is always the path of least resistance.

≥Enjoying senses without any restraint leads to a dulling of those senses.

≥It is by not believing others, by not trusting them, that you turn them into liars. Similarly, it is the “lack” of a quality in the ruler which creates in the people every other fault and crime.

≥A true Taoist is always happy to share the gifts of Tao while remaining in the shadows.

≥Lao-Tzu offers the followers of Taoism three invaluable treasures - compassion, frugality, and self-effacement. Together they make up the pillars of Taoist values. A Taoist is compassionate and kind, loves and treats everyone as equals, and, in doing so, can become truly courageous and loyal. A Taoist is also frugal - generous to a fault, large-minded. A frugal leader feels as if every tax raise means parting with their own money. And self-effacement for a Taoist means refusal outrightly to take charge and a lack of ambition to surpass the greatness of all under Heaven and Heaven itself. When people are all these things, they can obtain the True Tao and rejoice in it.

≥To understand others is wisdom; to know self is illumination. To vanquish others requires force; to vanquish self requires strength.

≥By being in touch with the universe and ourselves, we can become powerful tools that can change the world. Our role in transforming the universe is immeasurable — we do make a difference.

≥The teachings of Tao and Taoists are elusive and ineffable at first glance, but the more you read into them, the more you understand that they are the very essence of simplicity. Taoism encourages us to eliminate everything unnatural and restricting and everything that stops us from being who we are meant to be.

≥The True Tao is a healer, a source of hope for those who have strayed away from the truth; it is all-encompassing, kind, and forgiving. Unlike other religious philosophies, Taoism doesn’t dictate our every move and leaves much to interpretation. It’s all about trusting yourself to know what’s right and learning what Tao means to you. There is no specific guide to life that fits all. Therefore, Tao must also be unique.

≥Non-Action, Wordlessness, and Non-Contending are the main treasures of Taoism; they are the central ideas that can help us fight the chaos of life and find quiet harmony amidst it. Taoism’s goal is to help us still our minds through practicing mindfulness and self-cultivation because, according to Lao-Tzu, “to a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”

≥Words exist because of meaning. Once you’ve caught the meaning, forget the words.

Lao Tzu

Revised and re-translated, Red Pine's best-selling and authoritative translation of Taoteching is now--vitally--available once again.

Lao-Tzu's Taoteching

Michael Bauer

Shape Mismatch

No story could better define one's character in lesser words. This was the first of Hemingway's short story I read, but only the first of many to come.

The original mindfulness book, in a landmark new translation that presents it as a guide to living a better, kinder, gentler life The most translated book in the world after the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or 'Book of the Way', is the essential text of Taoism, one of the three great religions of China. Through aphorisms and parable, it guides its readers toward the Tao, or the 'Way': living in harmony with the life force of the universe. Traditionally attributed to Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher who was a contemporary of Confucius, it offers a practical model for living based on modesty, self-restraint and balance and is an insightful guide for anyone seeking to open their minds, free their thoughts, and attain greater self-awareness.

The Tao and the Power

Tao Te Ching (Daodejing)

rumbledethumps

I thought this translation was excellent, but I didn’t care for the commentary after each section. While the commentary itself was generally insightful, placing it after each section was a bit jarring. Reading the commentary, usually longer than the text itself, kept me in analytical mode, making it difficult to switch back to the intuitive mode often required for the text.

Tao Te Ching

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