Here in one volume are the classic texts of Taoism, which Thomas Cleary sees focusing on three critical areas of life: "individual well-being, social harmony, and accelerated evolution of consciousness." These texts give advice on how to stay vital, to relate to others, and to develop one's mental powers. The experience of the universal Way, as it is called, brings wisdom about everything from individual equilibrium to statecraft, sex, and long life.
Cleary includes his translations of the Tao Te Ching, an anthology of ancient sayings, poems, and proverbs; Chuang-tzu, a collection of stories and monologues expounding the teachings of the Way; and Wen-tzu, a distillation of Taoist teachings on mental and physical health; social conventions and human behavior; organization and law; statecraft and culture; and the process of war and peace. A sample from this widely respected text: "Success is not something you have contrived, gain is not something you have sought. What comes in is accepted without taking it, what goes out is given without bestowing it."
The final two texts here are The Book of Leadership and Strategy: Lessons of the Chinese Masters, a compendium of commentary on civilization, culture, and government, and Sex, Health and Long Life: Manuals of Taoist Practice, wherein one can find counsel on vitality (sexuality), energy (strength), and spirit (intelligence).