This valuable collection of illuminating analysis of skill stories from the Zhuangzi, a 4th century BCE Daoist text opens up new lines of inquiry in comparative East-West philosophical debates on skill, cultivation and mastery, as well as cross-disciplinary debates in psychology, cognitive science and philosophy.

Edited by Karyn Lai and Wai Wai Chiu

Introduction (Karyn Lai and Wai Wai Chiu)
Part I Reflections on Skill
1 Skilful Performances and the Zhuangzi's Lessons on Orientation (Wai Wai Chiu)
2 Skill and Nourishing Life (Franklin Perkins)
3 Skill and Emotions in the Zhuangzi (David Machek)
4 Zhuangzi's Politics from the Perspective of Skill (Timothy Connolly)
5 Elusive Masters, Powerless Teachers and Dumb Sages: Exploring Pedagogic Skills in the Zhuangzi (Romain Graziani)
6 Skill and Embodied Knowledge: Zhuangzi and Liezi (Steven Coutinho)
7 The Unskilled Zhuangzi: Big and Useless and Not So Good at Catching Rats (Eric Schwitzgebel)
Part II The Stories
8 Cook Ding: A Meditation in Flow (James Sellman)
9 Wheelwright Bian: A Difficult Dao (Lisa Raphals)
10 The Cicada-Catcher: Learning for Life (Karyn Lai)
11 The Ferryman: Forget the Deeps and Row! (Chris Fraser)
12 The Unresponsive Fighting Cocks: Mastery and Human Interaction in the Zhuangzi (Wim De Reu)
13 The Swimmer: (Albert Galvany)
14 Woodworker Qing: Matching Heaven with Heaven (Kim-chong Chong)
15 The Naked Scribe: The Skill of Dissociation in Society (Hans-Georg Moeller)
16 The Forger: The Use of Things (Wai Wai Chiu)