[.ca] Tao Of Pooh (ISBN 0140067477)

From Amazon.com:
Is there such thing as a Western Taoist? Benjamin Hoff says there is, and this Taoist's favorite food is honey. Through brilliant and witty dialogue with the beloved Pooh-bear and his companions, the author of this smash bestseller explains with ease and aplomb that rather than being a distant and mysterious concept, Taoism is as near and practical to us as our morning breakfast bowl. Romp through the enchanting world of Winnie-the-Pooh while soaking up invaluable lessons on simplicity and natural living.

Do as I say, not as I do:
Hoff's general premise is that Winnie-the-Pooh is a wonderful embodiment of some of the fundamental principles of taoism. If he limited himself to that discussion, the book would have been a much better read - he really does do a nice job of developing that theme. Unfortunately, Mr. Hoff's un-tsaoist ego attempts to get in the way, especially, when he attempts to give direct "life lessons" to his readers (as opposed to allowing his readers to draw them from the anecdotes he desribes). Mr. Hoff at that point begins to evince a "more buddhist, and thus cooler, than thou" attitude in these portions of the book, and in the process reveals a lot of judgmentalism and close-mindedness. A minor example that I happen to recall: at some length, he belittles people who are devoted to exercise as being driven by some sort of vanity-driven compulsion. That may be true in some cases, but Hoff illustrates no ability to comprehend that some people may enjoy the act of running, or walking, or biking, or whatever, simply for itself (something the tao favors). If we all were truly at peace with ourselves, I guess we'd be attempting to package our personal spirituality for material gain like Hoff.

Call me an Eeyore if you want but...:
Hurrah for Western Civilization, the predominant culture-set on the planet! Benjamin Hoff allows his Neo-Luddite hate speech to infiltrate his otherwise half-witted diatribe against academia, work, and progress. (How is it that most "progressives" I've met feel a need to romanticize about a *past* that never existed?) While saying that conservatives, scholars, and people who *do* rather than pontificate, are WRONG, this joker talks about the gentle Chinese and all their contributions to society. How can one, logically, bemoan the fate of Tibet while praising the Chinese for their cultural sensitivity? How can one, logically, complain about the ecology in the US in contrast to China (Maybe Chinese industrial waste is just culturally superior to ours?). We have protesters here in the US. We just don't run them over with military hardware. Those culturally sensitive Chinese are just GREAT! This is not to say that the Chinese are bad. How can a civilization that brought us Kung Pao Chicken be all *that* bad? Let us, however, be fair. Eastern Civilizations have been every bit as cruel as Western ones. Hoff would do well to learn that, worldwide, people have been miserable t@rds to each other for ages. He complains about a culture that allows dissent; I suspect that this disdain stays with him all the way to the bank. If he were to be critical *of* China *in* China, he may well find that his royalty checks would be found under "Contraband Property" and that *he* would be found under a tank. If you want to find out about Taoism read a book on Taoism. If you want to read frantic rants about Western culture, Hoff's books may be for you.

a great introduction to the Way:
I bought this book in '95, and re read it about once a year. If you want a simple, wonderful introduction to how life can be, you might want to read this book. I do not agree with the other reviewers in this thread, who say this book is against the western lifestyle. The author does have criticism about the western civilisation, and if you think about it, it all does make sense. Thanks to this book I have found my path, and inner peace that goes with it. It has so many treasures inside, that I cannot even begin to mention them all...

One of my favorite taoist books:
This book is a little gem, especially when you are feeling lost spiritually. It teaches one a lot about Eastern Philosophy, meditation and just (like a brook) taking things smoothily and easily. I loved and so have all the friends to whom I have gifted this little volume of wisdom.

Of Vinegar and Honey:
This is a wonderful book with a few minor flaws. Even if you have no wish to follow Tao, it can be taken as a fresh and light-hearted look at many of the timeless truisms we may already know but choose to ignore. It's also a jolly read. So it's a shame to quibble, but quibble I will. The first tale we are given is that of the vinegar tasters. Unfortunately Benjamin Hoff fails to heed the lesson as he repeatedly grimaces at the bitter taste left by western civilisation. Some sections are even likely to irritate (see other reviewers). p.s. some of my favourite ways of doing nothing include running, swimming and the gym; so I don't know what Hoff would make of me.