The short version
William Martin's The Daily Tao (Balance, December 2024, 432 pages) pairs his own original translation of the Tao Te Ching with a reflective practice for each day. Martin has been writing in this space since The Parent's Tao Te Ching in 1999, and his register is warm, pastoral, and aimed at contemplative practice.
365 Days of Tao (Airplane Mode, 373 pages) also carries the complete text across a year, with commentary anchored in the classical readers (Wang Bi, Heshang Gong, and the translators since) rather than in a single interpretive voice.
Both are honest books doing the same structural thing. The difference is what happens on the page after the verse.
| The Daily Tao | 365 Days of Tao | |
|---|---|---|
| Author / publisher | William Martin, Balance (Hachette), Dec 2024 | Airplane Mode Publishing House |
| Length | 432 pages | 373 pages |
| Translation | Martin's own original rendering | Rendered against the classical commentaries |
| After the verse | A reflection and a contemplative practice | A short essay on what it meant then and what to do with it now |
| Register | Warm, pastoral, practice-oriented | Plain, grounded, occasionally dry |
| Prior knowledge | None needed | None needed |
| Free edition | No | Yes, the complete book by daily email |
Buy Martin if you want a practice
Martin's strength is that he's been doing contemplative work for decades and it shows. His daily entries invite you into something: a reflection to sit with, a practice to carry. If what you want from a daily Tao book is a devotional rhythm, closer to how people use The Daily Stoic, his is the better fit.
His translation is also genuinely his own, which matters if you've already got a literal edition on the shelf and want a second voice. Reading two renderings of the same chapter is one of the better ways into this text, as our translation guide argues.
Buy ours if you want the argument
Our entries do less inviting and more explaining. Each page takes the verse, says what the classical readers made of it, and then says what it's actually asking of you, without softening the parts of the Tao Te Ching that are politically sharp or faintly rude about ambition.
That suits readers who want to understand the book rather than to use it, and it suits people who bounce off devotional phrasing. It's the wrong choice if you wanted warmth.
The free daily email is the other real difference. The complete book arrives one verse a morning at no cost, forever, so you can test the register for a month before deciding whether to buy anything at all.
The honest recommendation
If you're buying one Tao book and you already know you like contemplative writing, buy Martin's. If you're buying one and you want the text explained, ours. If you're buying for a gift and don't know the recipient's taste, ours is shorter and the free email means they can start immediately.
And if you're new to the Tao Te Ching entirely, consider reading a plain translation first. Neither daily book replaces meeting the text in one piece, which our reading guide covers.
Our comparison with Deng Ming-Dao's 365 Tao handles the third book in this category, and the daily reader comparison puts all of them in one table.
Common questions
Is The Daily Tao a full translation of the Tao Te Ching?
Yes. William Martin provides his own original rendering of the text alongside a daily reflection, across 432 pages, published by Balance in December 2024.
What's the difference between The Daily Tao and 365 Days of Tao?
Mainly what follows each verse. Martin offers a contemplative practice in a warm, pastoral register. 365 Days of Tao offers a short explanatory essay anchored in the classical commentaries.
Which is better for a beginner?
Either works with no prior knowledge. Choose Martin if you want a devotional rhythm, ours if you want the text explained. The free daily Tao email lets you test our register before buying.
Can I read both?
Yes, and reading two renderings of the same chapter is one of the better ways into the Tao Te Ching.
Do I need a separate Tao Te Ching translation?
Not strictly, since both books carry the complete text. Many readers still like meeting it in one piece first.