This book provides a glimpse into 17th-century Zhuangzi ( ; ca. 4th through 3rd century BCE) studies by introducing the works of Hanshan Déqing ( ; 1546-1623), Wáng Fuzhi ( ; 1619-1692), and Lín Yúnmíng ( ; 1628-1697), which give a sense of diverse approaches to Zhuangzi during this period.

The three commentators represent three distinct orientations as reflected by their respective roles, with Hanshan Déqing being a Buddhist monk, Wáng Fuzhi a philosopher, and Lín Yúnmíng a literary critic. Their understanding of "carefree wandering" ( ) is spelled out, followed by a complete translation of the Péng-bird passage through their eyes. The author concludes how this amounts to a conception of human flourishing.

This is the first monograph on Zhuangzi studies of any of these three thinkers in English. General readers or specialists of ancient Chinese philosophy can gain insight into how Zhuangzi was read in culturally relevant contexts.

John R. Williams currently teaches at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and was recently selected for the Shenzhen Peacock Talent Program. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chinese Philosophy from the National University of Singapore, where he was awarded the President's Graduate Fellowship.