What is the Tao Te Ching?

I have been pondered the question for a while. Did I really want to tell you, the reader, what the Tao is? Is it my place to do so? I decided I didn't and its not my place to give you any other information other then the basics:

• It's a book
• Written by Lao-Tzu
• Written over 25 centuries ago
• Tao in English = way
• Te in English = virtue
• Ching = Canon/great book/classic
• 81 verses
• Thanks wikipedia ;-)

I suggest however once you have finished this book that you come back to these first to posts and think about why I may have chosen not to elaborate.