User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
“Hello there! Aren’t you Winnie the Pooh? I’m a big fan.”
“Yes I am. How do you know me?” Asked Pooh.
“There have been many books written about you and your friends. The most recent one is about how you are a western Taoist.”
“Oh.”
“A western what?”
“Taoist” I said, “it’s very hard to explain, I’m no expert. In fact the whole book was about the author trying to explain it to you, and you would say “oh.”
“Oh.” Said Pooh.
“From what I understand you are an un-carved block.”
“Oh” said Pooh.
“An un-carved what?”
“I know, I don’t entirely get it either. “ I said”something about how you are not very smart, therefore you don’t over think things like Rabbit.”
“Oh” said Pooh.
“You enjoy the day and blow off any important things you really should be doing, and listen to the birds chirp simply because it’s a nice day.” I said “in Taoism procrastination is good, my kind of philosophy. But I’m sure it’s more complicated than that.”
“Oh.” Said Pooh.
“I was about to go get some honey, it’s my favorite thing.” Said Pooh “would you like some…..uh…..what is your name?”
“Stephanie, and thanks Pooh, I would love some.”
What this little book made me want to do is read the Winnie the Pooh books by A. A. Milne. I wonder if he was trying to write these stories to illustrate Taoist philosophies, if so, he was more of a genius than I previously thought.
Cute book, I listened to the audio version and it was well read.
Rating: really liked it
I picked up this book because it seemed so charming. The author took the stories and characters of A.A. Milne and juxtaposed them with the Taoist teachings of people such as Lao Tzu.
Pooh as western Taoist starts off interestingly enough but halfway through it I came to the realization that it was making me want to just read the actual Milne, who was frankly probably a genius writer. Those were great books with great characters, each with their own type of intelligence.
Then about two thirds through the book, it just becomes insulting. The author is against pretty much anything useful. Rather than believing in the give and take of Ying and Yang (or any other name it may go under) he's against intellectuals who are secretly foolish for trying to figure anything about the world, against people who work hard and care about their jobs or contributions (again that's just foolish), people who enjoy sports or exercise...heck he's against leaving your house or caring about the rest of the world. I understand the idea behind the Busy Backson rant, but is there no middle ground at all?
The idea of the Indian American culture being superior to that of the almighty Puritans is used as an example, which could be built upon in several interesting ways, but instead the author chooses to illustrate how everything that came after was just silliness without supplying a single idea about how it could be done better...yet useful.
At one point he actually uses the example of (paraphrasing here) turning on the T.V. news to hear "`Thirty thousand people were killed today when five jumbo airliners collided over downtown Lose Angeles" *click* Stop worrying about everything and go about life. Listen to the birds chirp, they will tell you more about the world." ---wait, we shouldn't care about thirty thousand humans being killed in a horrific accident?
I am in no way an expert on Taoism, but unless everyone who IS finds that idea posing as a representation of their philosophy to be offensive, I want nothing to do with it. It isn't enlightened to go around hating everything while doing nothing. And I'm sure the author realizes this since he spends so much time writing best-selling books.
Rating: really liked it
Benjamin Hoff ardently tries to explain Taoist teachings of Lao Tzu and Eastern Philosophy in Western terms with the help of characters created by A.A.Milne.
The author tells us how to be pragmatic and deal with the problems in our life with ease to lead a pleasant life. This book will help us to remove our profligate behavior and pessimism. Unlike most self-help books which are written in prosaic preachy rhetoric that should be rebuked, this book elucidates the concepts of Eastern philosophy in a simple yet effective manner that should be revered. It will help us to become a better version of ourselves.
What I learned from this book 1) What should we do when things are not going our way? If things are not going the way, we planned we would feel restless. The author tells how to deal with the situation perfectly.
"Things just happen in the right way, at the right time. At least when you let them, when you work with circumstances instead of saying, 'This isn't supposed to be happening this way,' and trying harder to make it happen some other way."
2) Why is it important to get out of our comfort zone? 
If we try to deal with everything in our lives safely without taking any risks in our comfort zone, we are not going to achieve anything. We should have to take some risks if we want to achieve something in our life.
The only thing we should be careful about is that we should never gamble in our life, and we should be able to demarcate the narrow line between taking risks and gambling vividly. "The play-it-safe pessimists of the world never accomplish much of anything, because they don't look clearly and objectively at situations, they don't recognize or believe in their own abilities to overcome even the smallest amount of risk."
3) How can a disease save your life? The author says that if you know what is wrong with your health and live your life according to it, you will have a longer life. If you think that you are perfectly healthy and neglect your weaknesses, you will have a shorter life. So a disease or weakness or limitations will do you a big favor if you acknowledge its existence.
"One disease, long life; no disease, short life."
My favourite three lines from this book “The wise know their limitations; the foolish do not.”
"Do you really want to be happy? You can begin by being appreciative of who you are and what you've got."
“To attain knowledge add things everyday. To attain wisdom remove things everyday.”
What could have been better? Apart from the author's cuteness and witty writing style, there are some problems in this book that some of us won't like. If you have read books written by Ayn Rand, you might be familiar with the concept of individualism. Some studies show us that there is an increase in narcissism seen in some cultures following individualism. They are saying that it, in turn, has led to a Narcissism Epidemic.
Individualism vs. Collectivism vs. Narcissism is a highly debatable topic that needs more profound understanding.
We can see the author saying to stop listening to disturbing news in a way similar to some of Ayn Rand's controversial philosophies. It was written in an alarming way which might discourage the empathetic behavior of people. This behavior, in turn, might even cause an increase in the Narcissism epidemic. It will be difficult for many people to digest what the author tried to tell here.
Rating 4/5 This is a simple charming book that most of you will enjoy reading.
Rating: really liked it
Very cute, but I think this dragged on a little at times. It wasn't very memorable, and had it been so I think this would have made more of an impact on me.
Rating: really liked it
Okay Full Review is here (too many times I've said full review coming then never posted again)
A cute dialogue on complex philosophical discussion between our narrator and AA Milne’s famous creations. Overall the tone of the book complemented the teachings well and left me as a reader excited to conduct my own research on the subject matter from its source material to come to my own conclusions. It’s difficult to not enjoy something with such a charismatic ensemble and the overall thesis of this work was so compelling and unique it was difficult to put down.
With Pooh, I think the primary take away from this book is life is fun when you want to live. Not when you try to put your existence in a box or define how you’re supposed to live, but when you let the walls dissolve and just exist. We physically go through our days but it’s how we mentally interpret it that leaves an overall Impression. Complaining about not having enough time to study or not getting enough work done shouldn’t take away from the rewarding feeling of restarting an exercise routine or picking up a new language. For so long with writing I focused on all the stories I hadn’t written yet that I neglected the positive reviews of the work I had put out. It doesn’t change where I am physically but mentally I feel completely new. I enjoy how this book pushes the power of the mind because that can take you much farther than the muscles in your body. But it can also take you exactly where you need to be if you just let it.
Sometimes the simple explanation is the right one. There’s an old saying of when you hear hooves think horse before zebras and it means even what can appear to be a complex problem could actually be one you’re familiar with presenting itself differently. Over complicating solutions will often keep you stuck in the same place getting more overwhelmed by the second. One of the satisfying beliefs in taoism came early in this book when the narrator told us the tale of the vinegar which represents the primary three eastern philosophies. Three men dip their fingers in vinegar and have a different expression on their face. While Confucianism believe the universe is out of whack and needs order restored, and while Buddha believes life is suffering and we need to detach our bodily existence to achieve nirvana, Lao Tzu believed the universe was in perfect harmony and we just had to let out instincts guide us. In other words, Buddha believed we needed to return to the dust of the universe while Taoism believes we already are.
A bird can fly but a fly can’t bird sometimes things just are as they are. We aren’t able to change everything and we don’t even necessarily have to try. Why does it matter that a square peg doesn’t fit in a round hole? New Orleans will always deal with hurricanes and for most of my life the Bills would always lose. I can’t control these things so why would I stress about changing their course? It makes far more sense to focus on the things I can control like preparing an evacuation plan and buying booze to make it through a game. In the book when Pooh and the gang are lost and trying to find their way home they couldn’t magically wish their way home but they could change their approach by walking in a different direction.
Share what you know for the sake of sharing. Hoarding knowledge is ego driven to create a distance in wealth of intellectual currency. Someone who learns for the sake of accumulating knowledge with no plans of making it accessible to others is not actually solving problems they’re just appeasing their ego.
Never stop asking why, this question included. It’s what feeds our curiosity and by extension our creativity. Asking why accesses our childlike nature and returns us to that beautiful time where the world was limitless wonder. A development of man in the tale was infant, child, adult, then enlightened child because it’s that wonder that keeps you youthful, healthy, and wise.
A weakness is a strength when you acknowledge it’s a weakness (one disease long life, no disease short life). If you know what you aren’t good at you can focus on fortifying it or find someone in your life who’s strength is your weakness. This was fascinating because it fits so perfectly into all walks of life. In business when I know something is wrong I feel a sense of comfort because now we can fix it. I’ve heard similar stories of people with undiagnosed ailments finally getting diagnosis and even if it’s a serious one they felt a sense of relief because they finally could start a road to recovery.
This was then followed up by the importance of perspective because later in the book they discussed how it’s less work to change a negative to a positive than it is to erase a negative. In other words, reframing your weaknesses will get you further than trying to eradicate them. The best example I can think of off the top of my head is if you’re a constant snacker you’re not going to stop but you can change what you’re snacking on. Also just try this exercise. Draw a negative sign on a piece of paper. What takes more time, erasing it from the page or adding a perpendicular line to make it a positive?
We don’t need to know things to work with them. While the inventor wants to take things a part and understand every small detail of how it works, some things don’t need to be dissected or are too vast to even begin to do so. I think of the movie drumline with this when Nick Cannon is told you don’t need to be able to read restroom to know how to use a toilet. While understanding things can create an enriching experience you shouldn’t get lost in the details. At first I struggled to agree with this piece of advice until I tried to apply it to my own life. While I’m not an engineer I have been bogged down by details in the past and a perfectionist mentality which has stunted development. My dear friend Brandy told me sometimes good enough is good enough and it’s all you need to do.
Authenticity is difficult because we have brains and brains can be tricked into liking things our instincts don’t like. I’ve been trying to articulate this point for years! The worst advice a social media guru can give, but it’s always their favorite, is just be authentic. DUDE! That’s so fucking difficult. I didn’t know who I was for years. I had allowed my brain to be rewired to like things I had no interest in but I convinced myself I liked it and convinced myself it was good. I know this sounds kind of pathetic, but as long as we are constantly consuming material we are told is good, we will be tricked into thinking it is. Brains can be tricked, and the biggest mistake we can make is thinking ours is always right. It’s our greatest tool but it’s also one of our most susceptible.
“Music and living are the same thing” the image in the book that was used was someone banging on the keyboards isn’t making music, but removing the keys from the piano doesn’t make music either. Our every day actions are playing notes and some people compose more beautiful symphonies at times but we don’t remove the keys of everyone else.
courage compassion comes courage. Piglet is afraid but when his friends are in trouble he’s the first to run after them to help. You don’t have to be brave for the sake of being brave, love breeds bravery and the more you love the braver you will naturally become because truly caring about something else will train your instincts to protect it at all costs.
My final point is I think we’ve all practiced taoism in our lives even if we didn’t know it. Have you ever been on a winning streak where you find your spontaneous actions are just always right but you’re not putting any effort in? Maybe you just didn’t feel like going out and it turned out the there was a huge electrical storm and the event lost power anyway, or you were supposed to go to school but instead you take a road trip to Atlanta to see rap legends perform. Taoism promotes instinctual decisions and spontaneity. I think it’s perfectly captured in this quote from the book: You can’t save time but you can spend it
Rating: really liked it
Part of this rating is my fault.
I don’t know what I expected exactly, choosing a book that helps to explain Taoism through Winnie the Pooh (and explaining Winnie the Pooh through Taoism) but this was not what I wanted.
Benjamin Hoff has striven to explain Eastern philosophy in Western terms by using as a working allegory the beloved characters developed by A.A. Milne. By including Pooh and his friends while he wrote the book and having an ongoing dialogue with the residents of The Hundred Acre Wood while he presents his ideas, Hoff has given the reader a wonderfully imaginative and informative introduction to the principles of Taoism in friendly and easy to understand terms. Hoff (and Pooh) help us to understand the fundamentals of simple and pleasant living.
And I didn’t really like it.
I didn’t hate it. This book is charming and Hoff is a personable, approachable writer and I can easily understand why so many people have enjoyed the book. I can even see how people could love this book, keep a special edition on their mantel and revisit its pages often.
But I didn’t.
You know the pictures in the mall that appear as a blob of patterns, or an odd design, but if you stare at the picture long enough you’ll see something else? I have NEVER seen the something else. So maybe it’s me, and it’s my loss.
It was a little on the cutesy poo side of charming. And I don’t know, as much as I’d like to live simply and enjoy the NOW, learning these principles from a guy without pants and a honey stain on his shirt is a stretch for me.
But, you know, that's just, like my opinion, man.
Rating: really liked it
Find this review at Scott Reads It
Recipe for Tao of Pooh
1. 1 cup of Eastern Chinese philosophy
2. 2 cups of Winnie the Pooh
3. 3/4 quart of wisdom
4. 3 Handfuls of fabulous drawings by Ernest Shepard
5. The key to Happiness
Mix them all together and you have the Tao of Pooh.
The Tao of Pooh is a book that I loved whole heartily. Basically as the title suggest it's a allegorical interpetation of A.A. Milne's characters in the world of Daoism or Taoism. Inside this slender novel you will find some of the best advice I've ever heard.
I learned so much about Taoism, alot more than I learned when I was in school. The Tao of Pooh helped me appreciate Taoism so much more and I saw how fantastic the principles of it are. This book gave Taoism a deeper meaning than just some old philosophy. You may not be a Taoist but you still can enjoy this novel and the wisdom it proved me with such as:
"Everything has its own place and function. That applies to people, although many don't seem to realize it, stuck as they are in the wrong job, the wrong marriage, or the wrong house. When you know and respect your Inner Nature, you know where you belong. You also know where you don't belong."
"You'd be surprised how many people violate this simple principle every day of their lives and try to fit square pegs into round holes, ignoring the clear reality that Things Are As They Are."
Benjamin Hoffman took of the most recognized characters in the world and used him to teach valuable lessons. This is one of the most original novels I have read and it was a quick read. I already have it's companion called the Te of Piglet waiting to be read. This practical book is about finding your inner self and making your life more positive. This one of the few inspirational books that I really enjoyed and I recommended it to everyone whether you are 10 or 110.
5/5 Stars
Must Read
Rating: really liked it
A somewhat overly cutesy take on Taoism that worked much better for me as an audio ‘read’ than reading the actual book – which I’ve tried to do more than a few times – and abandoned as many times.
This was a nice background alternative to music, for a change, while driving through some of the back roads of Vermont and appreciating the beauty of the season while it lasts, it really was the perfect audiobook with some moments of charm, including some of the quotes from A.A. Milne’s books that were blended with an attempt to simplify the concepts of Taoism so that even a bear of very little brain could comprehend and apply it to their life. That being said, I don’t for a minute believe that Taoism is as simplistic as this would have you believe, but I’m willing to believe it’s a step in that direction.
While this wasn’t exactly life changing for me, it was filled with a charm that some days I miss. I’m not sure how closely this in line with Taoism, but I’m hoping that if you’re seriously considering a change in your religious aspirations that you would read more beyond this book. Having said that, it does have its own charm.
Rating: really liked it
It was a Friday; I wasn’t working, I’m a little behind on my read count, so I took this off the stack. It looked short and light enough to finish in an afternoon. This need to achieve things rather than “living in the moment” of simply existing and enjoying the book goes against the principles of Taoism, of course. But I never claimed to be Pooh Bear.
The Tao of Pooh is a short book written before I was born that purports to elucidate certain concepts related to Taoism through the characters and story of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. According to Benjamin Hoff (who, incidentally, has the best first name ever), Pooh is a textbook Taoist. Pooh is the “Uncarved Block” who simply takes life as it is and learns to enjoy the little things, whose simple-mindedness and child-like state of wonder and enjoyment means he is never far from a good day. Hoff examines how some of the other inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood embody competing schools of thought—Confucianism, Buddhism, etc.—or how their actions and statements are not compatible with a Taoist outlook. For people like me who aren’t familiar with Taoism, it’s an interesting and accessible primer. Yet it also possesses a bitter coating of irritating smugness that makes the primer hard to swallow.
A lot of Taoist thought appeals to me and agrees with how I try to lead my own life. I’m not so good at living in the moment—my mind tends to race ahead and dwell on potentialities more than is good for it. I know this is an issue, however, so it’s something I am actively working on. When I’m listening to friends speak, when I’m reading, when I’m knitting and watching TV, I make a conscious effort to inhabit that moment, to give it my full attention. I
listen rather than simply wait for the silence that means I can say my piece. I think and relish and absorb the words rather than skim over them because I want to reach the end. I watch and see and think about what’s happening rather than absently check my phone to see if anyone has posted anything interesting on Twitter. “Living in a moment” is challenging in the age of distraction and definitely a goal worth having.
Beyond that, though, I just like the Taoist-compatible idea that we should strive for harmony and try to find the positives in situations that seem inherently negative. Shit happens, right? And stress is inevitable—but it’s also really bad for you. I try to minimize my stress by putting things in perspective. If something isn’t working on my computer, or if I’ve spilled tea, then hey, those are annoyances, but they aren’t a big deal. The more I can let little nuisances pass over me and through me like waves breaking against a rock, the better I’m able to save my time, energy, and emotions for things that really matter.
Hoff makes some very interesting observations, too, about the way Western thought privileges jargon over plain-spoken language:
The Confusionist, Dessicated Scholar is one who studies Knowledge for the sake of Knowledge, and who keeps what he learns to himself or his own small group, writing pompous and pretentious papers that no one else can understand, rather than working for the enlightenment of others.
And a few pages later, Hoff questions the value of received or academic knowledge compared to experiential knowledge:
… and one sometimes gets the impression that those intimidating words are there to keep us from understanding. That way, the scholars can appear Superior, and will not likely be suspected of Not Knowing Something. After all, from the scholarly point of view, it’s practically a crime not to know everything.
But sometimes the knowledge of the scholar is a bit hard to understand because it doesn’t seem to match up with our own experience of things. In other words, Knowledge and Experience do not necessarily speak the same language. But isn’t the knowledge that comes from experience more valuable than the knowledge that doesn’t?
This resonates with my personal arc of epistemological self-awareness. I tend to remark these days how much I miss university—I miss the classes, and the peers and friends I had who shared my love of learning math and English and philosophy—my last three years of university were among the best and most fulfilling I’ve had so far. Yet I am glad I did not take some professors’ advice to apply to grad school right out of the education program. Setting aside the absurd idea that I could tell teachers how they could teach without getting experience in a classroom myself first, I knew that I needed to leave the ivory tower for a little while. I am such an intellectual; I am just so well suited to the way the game is played in university. That means I was lucky and did well, and doubtlessly I could have continued doing well—but it would be hollow, really.
Now that I’m outside looking in, I can see how, as wonderful as university was, it has a lot of flaws. In particular, Hoff is right: it privileges certain types of knowledge and gatekeeps to make sure only those who play the game get to share in the discussion. The past few years that I’ve spent examining my own privilege as a white male and watching feminist discourse on spaces like Twitter have shown me that there is a lot of valuable and even intellectual knowledge exchange happening outside the regular channels of academe. But it’s ignored at best or appropriated at worst. You’ve got so many women and people of colour talking about their lived experiences, and then so-called “experts” on these issues ignore them or shout over them and say, “Actually, you have it wrong.” Your personal experience is somehow
wrong. That’s bizarre. But, for a long time, I was that kind of person—I spent a long time drinking the Western rationalist kool-aid without really understanding that there’s more to intellectual discussion than the Enlightenment can provide.
So understand that I am somewhat sympathetic to what Hoff describes in this book, especially with regards to the shortcomings of being “clever.” And it’s
clever of him to use Pooh as a vehicle for explaining Taoism. There’s just one problem.
I’m an Eeyore person.My dad gave this to me for my birthday, probably because he knows I like Eeyore. I have multiple Eeyore stuffed animals, multiple Eeyore mugs … I’m all about the Eeyore, man. And he doesn’t come off well in
The Tao of Pooh. Apparently, Eeyore is a pessimist and a downer who constantly worries. Maybe so. Yet I see the optimism in Eeyore that others don’t: his house of sticks keeps falling down,
and he keeps building it! A true pessimist would say, “What’s the use?” and just give up. No, I am Team Eeyore all the way.
Hoff’s use of Pooh as the allegorical Uncarved Block and simpleminded apotheosis of Taoist thought is strangely and, hopefully, uncharacteristically insular. I agree wholeheartedly that maintaining the sense of wonder we have about the world as children is important, especially now that we have so many claims on our valuable free time. I liked Hoff’s observation that it is impossible to
save time, only to
spend it, and so we need to stop thinking about how we can save time and instead spend it wisely. That’s true. Yet he is so critical of so-called “clever” people, of anyone who wants to know more than what is on the surface of things. And I find that so unfortunate.
Furthermore, there is a smug tone to his critique of clever people. It’s one thing to promulgate your alternative philosophy and another to look down on people because you think your philosophy makes you superior. I know people who I wish wouldn’t stress out over things in their life they can’t change—but I also try hard not to judge them, because sometimes those things make their life hard. Somewhere along the way, between his descriptions of Tao and Te and pu and wei wu wei, Hoff seems to lose the value of empathy. In what is probably my least favourite chapter, “Bisy Backson,” Hoff rails against education and awareness of the outside world:
“Well, you could be spending your time getting Educated by listening to the Radio, instead,” I said.
“That thing?”
“Certainly. How else will you know what’s going on in the world?” I said.
“By going outside,” said Pooh.
“Er … well….” (Click.) “Now just listen to this, Pooh.”
“Thirty thousand people were killed today when five jumbo airliners collided over downtown Los Angeles…,” the Radio announced.
“What does that tell you about the world?” asked Pooh.
“Hmm. You’re right.” (Click.)
“What are the birds saying now?” I asked.
“That it’s a nice day,” said Pooh.
Look, I get what Hoff is probably intending with this exchange: he’s saying that if the news is going to depress you, stop listening to the news, and you won’t be as depressed. It’s true that media can be very depressing at times, because sensationalism and violence and tragedy sells. Nevertheless, the flippant way in which Hoff dismisses the idea that we should care about what’s happening to other people is disappointing. It’s a false dilemma: it is possible both to stop and enjoy the birdsong and the nice day
and to spend a little time contemplating the tragedy of a five-airplane mid-air collision and how it is affecting so many people. The human mind is a wonderful thing and is capable of entertaining more than one thought per day.
This is why
The Tao of Pooh is more frustrating than it should be: there is little middle ground here. Hoff makes so many valid critiques about our Western society and its overemphasis on being busy, being industrious, being clever. He presents a great overview of some of the key tenets of Taoism. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to do this without communicating how very pleased he is with himself and with Taoism that it appears to offer all the solutions to life, the universe, and everything. Just be more like Pooh Bear, and you’ll be OK! Nothing could possibly go wrong….
This message, while vapidly reassuring, is not helpful. In reality, we are flawed creatures. No single philosophy can ever offer the perfect solace or the best way to live. Hoff is right that there is a little Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, etc., in all of us. Unlike him, however, I’m not so sure the solution is to choose the Way of Pooh. We should instead be aware of when we are Eeyoring and when we are Pigleting, examine why we do those things, and see if that causes problems for us. But stumbling through life without any awareness of history, underlying knowledge of the world around us, or ability analyze and think critically, is not the solution.
Rating: really liked it
This was a fun re-read for me. I think I first read this back in the '90s when I worked at a big chain bookstore — as clerks we were encouraged to read widely and be familiar with as many bestselling authors as possible. I remember "The Tao of Pooh" was still selling well more than a decade after it was first published, and its charm does feel timeless.
Benjamin Hoff's idea was to illustrate the basic principles of Taoism using the characters in the Winnie the Pooh stories. It's a quick read, clever, humorous, and with a fair amount of criticism of Western culture. For this re-read I listened to the audiobook, which was delightfully narrated by Simon Vance.
Recommended if you want a short-and-sweet dose of Eastern philosophy.
Rating: really liked it
What should be a charming and thoughtful analysis of Pooh Bear through a Taoist lens ends up being a rambling polemic by a bitter man who obviously has a ways to go before he achieves inner peace. While he does use Pooh and company as a jumping off point, Hoff ends up spending much of the book railing against business people, lawyers, academics, and everyone else he deems a "Busy Backson". Even scientists are Busy Backsons, because their discoveries only lead to more questions. Hoff's ideal is a world where everyone sits around tending their garden (he's a gardener) free of desire, ambition, and intellectual curiosity.
Hoff's interpretation of Pooh is one where all the other characters are severely flawed and serve only to emphasize Pooh's purity - a complete misreading, in my opinion. However, this seems to mirror Hoff's opinion of himself as an oasis a sea of Busy Backsons. Ironically, Hoff's writing (not to mention his website) is generally angry and bitter. I probably have more inner peace than this guy.
Hoff is an unsuccessful artist who uses Eastern mysticism to rationalize his own failed ambitions and condemn people he doesn't like. In the process, he defames a beloved bear. I know very little about Taoism but I hope it's a more intelligent philosophy than it comes across as here.
Rating: really liked it
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, kept me entertained, and I feel like I actually grasped the general concepts of Taoism. That was accomplishing a lot because sometimes my borderline ADD brain can't focus on religion and philosophy books. It's not like I don't want to know. I do want to know. But it can't be helped what my brain does and does not respond to. Winnie the Pooh and funniness are two things my brain inevitably responds to. So intertwining those things with philosophy is pretty much nearly perfect to me.
Thanks, Anthony, for passing it along. I'd like to continue the tradition and pass this book along to someone else who would appreciate its wisdom.
Rating: really liked it
Wonderful book! Must read for anyone interested in Taoism or even in plain simple living.
Rating: really liked it
I was looking forward to a light and sweet exploration of Daoist principles with the lovable, simple characters of
Winnie the Pooh, but was irritated by Benjamin Hoff's ignorant attacks on science and learning. "Science likes to strut around and Act Smart by putting its labels on everything, but if you look at them closely, you'll see that they don't really say much. 'Genes'? 'DNA'? Just scratching the surface." On that same page: "We don't need to imitate Nearsighted Science, which peers at the world through an electron microscope, hoping for answers it will never find and coming up with more questions instead." What the hell, Hoff? It's an absurd caricature, and totally unnecessary to the point he's making about living in the moment.
When Hoff can refrain from his jabs at "Confused" Confucianism and what he sees as its intellectual descendants, there are some cute examples of Daoist thought. The topic coyly resists straight definition, so we are treated to a series of oblique examples and illustrations, many pulled directly from the A.A. Milne stories, with commentary in the form of Hoff interrupting to banter with Pooh and the other characters. The basic idea is to stop trying to interfere with things. Stop trying to bend situations to your will. Stop interrupting nature. Just go with the flow, see what happens, and be there for the ride. Pooh exemplifies this clear-headed (empty-headed?) reliance on Inner Nature, and we are encouraged to do the same.
The problem is that the examples Hoff provides of the benefits (such as Pooh finding Eeyore's tail by
not trying to find Eeyore's tail) are fictional and selective. One can't help but think of a host of real-world examples in which active involvement, planning, preparation, and knowledge - all things Hoff apparently despises - have been crucial to accomplish important goals and even save lives. If he could adopt a little bit of the mindset of Ecclesiastes, he might realize that there's a time for everything.
If this inspires you to go outdoors and spend a while enjoying nature, or to just chill wherever you are and not let the worries of the day control your emotions... that's wonderful. Just ignore Hoff when he mouths off on things he knows nothing about.
Well, after all this typing, I think I could use a smackerel of honey...
Rating: really liked it
Hoff has no idea about neither Taoism nor Pooh. He is an angry, bitchy man who rails against capitalism, Christianity, science, and “Busy Backsons”, ironically whom he personifies with his condescending attitude toward anyone who is not an “uncarved block” like Pooh. I don’t know much about Taoism, but I seriously doubt it is so intolerant. I know more about Buddhism, which he disses, and it acknowledges that we are distracted beings, and offers a way to achieve happiness. Instead of showing the Way, Hoff trashes everyone who does not know it.
And poor Pooh and company... he asserts everyone is a failure except Pooh because his ways are simple and the others overcomplicate things. He completely contradicts his assertion that everyone has a role they are suited for - so it is with Pooh’s friends, who are all essential. It is not Pooh who solves problems alone - he is part of a team, and they do it together. Perhaps Hoff should learn a thing or two from them.
