For me, the first item for consideration when looking into a new copy of a spiritual book is the quality of the translation. This version of The Tao Te Ching was translated by Ralph Alan Dale. The dude knew his stuff. He was an expert in Chinese culture and the Tao Te Ching. I would have preferred if he was a monk (they are just so careful staying true to the original text and have endless onsite expertise to debate the fine points), but Ralph made this his life, seems sincerely interested in keeping the verses accurate and his explanations of the verses resonate with my understandings of these texts. He definitely is explaining the verses for a western audience, but his sparse commentary shows a deep understanding and thoughtful delivery.Okay, now for the reason I really like these little books...because I will actually use them.I find myself actually meditating. These are not books to collect, they are to use.I like to keep my reading material nearby in case I am inclined I use it. I have a couple of these in the Watkins series and they are perfect for me. They are so small I can have them on my living room end table where I sit, so I will actually pick up the book, turn to a page and meditate on it for a bit.Important to the rest of the house is that I can leave my little books on my living room end table where I sit without making a big book mess. These look stylish and decorative.If I feel like a little Lao Tzu instead, I have their little Tao Te Ching book here too.I find these help me remember to practice more often.