In Print: ‘Ancient Wisdoms for Modern Crises: Learning From Laozi’s “Daodejing’’’

In Print graphic with Steve Hallett and the cover of his book “Ancient Wisdoms for Modern Crises: Learning From Laozi’s ‘Daodejing.’”

Steve Hallett, professor of horticulture, and his published book “Ancient Wisdoms for Modern Crises: Learning From Laozi's ‘Daodejing.’”

September 14, 2026 Izzy Karpinski

Publication title

Ancient Wisdoms for Modern Crises: Learning From Laozi’s “Daodejing”

Purdue author

Steve Hallett

Publisher

Purdue University Press

Publication date

Feb. 15, 2026

About the book (from the publisher)

We live in a time of abundance and comfort for some, scarcity and hardship for others — a period that seems to have all of us teetering on the brink. There is no lack of modern crises, but do we possess the wisdom to overcome them, and where might we seek that wisdom? “Ancient Wisdoms for Modern Crises: Learning From Laozi’s ‘Daodejing’” looks to the “Daodejing,” a text written during the late Zhou Dynasty (600-400 BCE), for guidance. One of the core treatises of Eastern philosophy, the text advocates humility, simplicity and sustainable living. As both a personal and political philosophy, it is radically gentle, encouraging readers to embrace humility, modesty, compassion and selflessness while simultaneously resisting the urge to conquer, control and dominate — teachings that can help each of us navigate contemporary life. Finding solutions to such difficult problems requires all the wisdom, ancient and modern, that humans can muster. Replete with the author’s fresh translation of the 81-verse “Daodejing,” this book touches on topics ranging from environmentalism and human suffering to biodiversity loss and the rise of authoritarianism in an effort to forge a more restrained, sustainable, just, supportive and compassionate society.

About the Purdue author

Steve Hallett is a professor of horticulture and faculty mentor to the Sustainable Food and Farming Systems degree program. Hallett is interested in the use of poetry and book-length fiction and nonfiction in environmental communication, particularly in subjects related to global change and sustainable agriculture.

About the In Print series

To celebrate our faculty’s excellence in scholarship, Purdue Today’s weekly book series highlights faculty expertise across diverse subjects and disciplines. Find out more about the Purdue University Books Initiative and how to suggest a book for the In Print series on the Office of the Provost website. Purdue University’s Libraries and School of Information Studies’ authored books collection is available here.