Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance
by Annellen Simpkins, C. Alexander Simpkins
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Book Summary Information
Author: Annellen Simpkins, C. Alexander SimpkinsEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-05-15
ISBN: 0804831734
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Book Reviews of Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance
Book Review: Good Introduction to Taoism
Summary: 3 Stars
The book is organized into three parts: 1. History of Taoism, 2. Definition of Taoist Concepts, and 3. Taoism in Practice.
The second section is easily the best, most objective and least analytic. The authors define Tao, Te, wu-wei, ying and yang, p'u and chi. Taoism *is* "simple"; it isn't easy to practice, but far too many authors tend to analyze and over-analyze while defining, which is the precise antithesis of Tao. The second section of this book takes a solid Taoist approach by simply defining the terms; you use them your Way.
The third section, Taoist Practice, represents the authors' mindset. It is how they practice Taoism -- they write about some Taoist arts but not others and don't mention that this was their writing approach. Likewise for The first section, Taoist History. It reads as well-researched but speaks only of certain elements.
The problematic part is that book is written as though all concepts presented are in equal measure the essence of--and necessary to--Taoism, with no mention of elements left out. I bought this for a friend who was interested in the basics of Taoism, and I picked it up to see what I'd be giving him. I ended up reading it; it's very short and fast and I liked it a lot. I thought highly of it. Then when I gave it to him I found that I wanted to explain which elements could be appropriate or not for him, or what he doesn't need to take as "fact" of Taoism as it's presented here.
I've considered Taoism indespensible in my life for over a decade and while this book is quite a good introduction, it has a somewhat one-sided view that's presented as universal, which makes this a good primer course but requires supplemental information. It's unfortunate because the material is good -- if only they would have written that the third chapter, for example, is about the ways *they* practice: e.g., martial art is one of the Toaist arts, much detail is given to it while other Taoist arts go unmentioned. As a first book about Taoism it might be difficult to differentiate between their thoughts and others'.
Overall: Good book. The 2nd section section is worth the price of admission, easily, for its simple definitions of typically over-described concepts. But parts one and three should be taken as the less objective of the three sections.
Summary of Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance
Simple Taoism is designed to help the reader understand what Taoism is about and to help apply its best aspects to everyday living. Divided into three parts, the book outlines the background and development of the philosophy, illustrated with stories to bring history to life. It explains key concepts and shows ways to incorporate the insights fo Taoism into one's life through such activities as meditation, breathing exercises, and exploring the natural world.
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