The Zhuangzi (also sometimes written Chuang-tzu) is an eponymous book attributed to a Daoist philosophy of the 4th century BCE. The “Inner Chapters” (the first seven sections) are the core of the book, and they fascinate and perplex readers by defending a variety of seemingly inconsistent positions, including relativism, skepticism, and pluralism. Zhuangzi also writes in a variety of genres, including narratives, dialogues, and brief philosophical expositions. Among the most famous stories are the Butterfly Dream and the butcher who teaches how to live one’s life by skillfully dismembering an ox. Some readers think there is no one message behind the Zhuangzi, and that the work is more therapeutic, in trying to talk us out of various narrow perspectives to see the world in a more flexible way. [recommended by Bryan Van Norden, Vassar College]