This is a very sweet story about a time, place, and man that was the construct of the author of this book. Historians and philosophers will continue to debate whether Lao Tzu ever existed or, if the Tao Te Ching was the work of many men. This book, however, portrays a decidedly Judeo/Christian perspective to the man called Lao Tzu and his life and times. The book is inacurate in it's portayal of life and philosophy/religion during the Han Dynasty. The author clearly misrepresents the history and beliefs in ancient China in a desire to mold Chinese thinking into a monotheistic belief system. If the reader is willing to set aside the historical and philosophical truths of the Chineses culture, the story is set forth as a very sweet parable. As someone who takes the Chinese culture seriously, I was not able to do so.