Lao Tzu's TAO TE CHING, one of the world's most widely read books of wisdom, reminds its readers that the sage has been venerated in China for thousands of years.

In this free-verse interpretation of the Tao, William Martin subtly and powerfully captures the complex emotions connected with growing older.

He encourages today's sages to recognize their inestimable worth in a youth-centric world that often goes astray: 'Will I be able to harvest my life in compassion and love for the world? Will I find in my own heart the wisdom for which I long? This question trumps all others for me. I suspect it is the same for you.'