Diane Dreher, Ph.D., is a bestselling author, researcher, and positive psychology coach. Her books, “The Tao of Inner Peace,” “The Tao of Personal Leadership,” “The Tao of Womanhood,” “Inner Gardening,” and “Your Personal Renaissance,” have been translated into ten languages. Her work has been featured in media outlets including USA Today, Entrepreneur, Redbook, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Science of Mind, radio and TV talk shows, and websites on leadership and personal growth. “The Tao of Inner Peace” shows how the Tao can be a powerful and calming source of growth, inspiration, and well-being in times of conflict and anxiety.

Translated more often than any other book except the Bible, the Tao Te Ching has been a spiritual guide for centuries, helping millions find peace within themselves, with each other, and with the natural world around them. Written in workbook style, complete with exercises, questionnaires, journal-keeping techniques, and affirmations, “The Tao of Inner Peace” translates the ancient Eastern philosophy into a plan for contemporary Western living. The book is divided into five sections: I The Way: Then And Now, II The Inner Way, III The Way of Nature, IV The Way of Life, and V The Way of Peace. In the Introduction, the author writes that in this book, the Tao lessons are explained with parallels and real life examples to make them more relatable to modern times. The chapters are short for a reason, to allow readers to read as many portions as time allows and then apply the lessons to his/her life. Each chapter opens with a quote from the Tao Te Ching which can be used as a meditation theme and closes with an affirmation to reinforce the lesson just covered in that chapter. The Notes and Resources section at the end has been updated as needed. Diane Dreher, Ph.D., shows the way to bring greater joy, fulfillment, and creativity to daily life, heal the body and spirit, build self-acceptance and self-esteem, resolve conflict, reverse negative cycles of emotion, and understand life as a process of changes and challenges.

“The Tao of Inner Peace” is a resourceful handbook that encourages mental wellness. It modernizes the principles of Tao and shows how to apply its lessons to everyday life to create balance and harmony. It covers every aspect of daily life, from defining peace within ourselves to becoming a citizen of the world by getting to know people of other cultures and being aware of how our actions affect the planet (nature). Diane Dreher does an admirable job of making Tao principles easy to understand by using simple and down to earth language. Readers can incorporate them into their lives by following the personal exercises listed at the end of each chapter. Highlights include Section II The Inner Way, Chapter 11: Creating Greater Joy In Life “With laughter comes the realization that all things come to pass, that life evolves through cycles of change” and Section III The Way of Nature Chapter 16: Transcending Hostiles Cycles where it stresses that “Violence begets further violence, negativity begets negativity” and the importance of not becoming hostile, fearful, or angry when faced with negativity. The most important lesson to be learned is that we are all part of a larger whole and by thinking globally while acting locally, we can “bring greater harmony to our world.” “The Tao of Inner Peace” by Diane Dreher is a practical guide as it offers advice and solutions to improve not only our personal lives but the local and global community as well. It is worth re-reading several times and is recommended for readers who appreciate books on meditation, mindfulness, self-improvement, and Taoist Philosophy.

“As the waters of a pure mountain spring slowly cleanses a stagnant pond, so by circulating loving energies we can gradually heal our world.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.