Taoism

Called "a first-rate piece of work" by T. S. Eliot, this book offers a comprehensive discussion of Taoism, one of the world's major religions, as well as a study of the Tao te ching, the best known Taoist text, and Lao-tzu as a Taoist prototype."Of very definite value and interest to specialists as well as laymen. in part, this virtue is owing to the enthusiasm, humor, lucitiy, and delightful informality he brings to his task, but it rests even more on a quite unusual capacity for analytical insight and informed understanding."—Derk Bodde, Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies

"Clarifies a large area of literature and history that has been a mystery to the West and makes fascinating reading even for those whose interest is casual."—The New YorkerHolmes Welch (1924-1981) was a scholar, researcher, and theorist whose specialization focused on Buddhism and Taoism. Welch worked with the State Department for much of his career, both during and after World War II. Welch studied at Harvard University and published Taoism: The Parting of the Way.