Lao Tzu lived in the 6th century BC according to Chinese tradition, and was his country's greatest mystic philosopher. He is considered the founder of Taoism, and is revered as a deity in the Taoist religion. Tom Butler-Bowdon is the author of five bestselling books on classic self-help and motivational writing. He has been described by USA Today as 'a true scholar of this type of literature'. Tom has also written introductions to the other editions in the Capstone Classics series.