Tao of Pooh and Te of Piglet Boxed Set

Tao of Pooh and Te of Piglet Boxed Set
by Benjamin Hoff

Tao of Pooh and Te of Piglet Boxed Set
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Book Summary Information

Author: Benjamin Hoff
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Box set
Published: 1994-11-01
ISBN: 014095144X
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Product features:
  • ISBN13: 9780140951448
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Book Reviews of Tao of Pooh and Te of Piglet Boxed Set

Book Review: Tao of Pooh
Summary: 4 Stars

(Note, this review discusses only the first book.)


The idea of the book is to explain Taoist principles by using characters, setting and events from "Winnie the Pooh." My first problem with the book is the intended audience is unclear, because a child is not serious and deep enough to understand such deep sayings and I felt bit awkward thinking about Disney Company's, for lack of a better term "cash cow" in my early teen years. However, in all honesty, I am horrible example for my age group because I am an easily disoriented person. Despite all I just said, for what it tries to do, it does a good job. Case and point, I now understand Taoist beliefs. Despite what I am about to say, you have to respect anything that does a good job, but it seems to have a few value a judgments I don't agree with.


A picture called "The Three Vinegar Tasters" is supposed to represent three similar belief sets (Buddhism, Confucius and Taoist) attitudes towards life (according to the author). It seems immoral to have other teachings unhappy (tasting the vinegar symbolizing life as bitter and sour.) I personally think Hoff and the artist of "The Three Vinegar Tasters" misunderstood the first of the Buddhist noble truths. They see Buddha as a bitter person. I think what Siddhartha meant when said "life is suffering" was life is full of suffering and you can't always get what you want, which similar to message I got from the book and the Tao te Ching which is "things are the way they are." And I am not the only one who thinks the first noble truth is being misunderstood. A Buddhist practitioner I interviewed for a school project thinks so too. Thus, I think it would wrong to call Siddhartha "bitter" since both Taoists and Buddhists principles give me the same general message. Also, it seems a bit inhumane to criticize a person, rather than their teachings, who was born sixth centuries before current era, since the connotations of the word "bitter" characterize Siddhartha in a negative way. Though, in all honesty, I'm probably not the best source in the world, since I was only studying Buddhism for a month and I have no knowledge of Taoism other then the book and the Tao Te Ching.


Throughout the book, I kept on wondering what does the author have against "book smart" scholars. For example, saying that they are smart to the point of uselessness and not noticing what matters. Another part he said when scientists say "instinct" it means "they don't know," which is not true in the slightest. Instinct is what we are naturally programmed to do because we didn't have instinct, we would be dead. Hoff goes on to say that it doesn't matter that we don't know and goes on to explain a principle. I do not want to spoil the book nor misrepresent it, so I will let it go at that.


The way Hoff explains Taoism through Winnie the Pooh is by having himself talk about the principles with Winnie the Pooh characters and having them represent different life styles. For the most part it works, but the way he has inserted himself into the stories it seems egotistical because he is using an entertainment goldmine. Overall, the book is good, the only reason I bad mouthed it is that if I only talked about the good parts, I would have nothing to talk about and I'm a critic.



Summary of Tao of Pooh and Te of Piglet Boxed Set

Who would have though that Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet, A.A. Milne's beloved storybook characters, would cause such a stir demonstrating the fundamentals of Taoist philosophy? Now, in time for the holiday season, these two phenomenal paperback bestsellers are available for the first time in an elegantly packaged boxed set. Illustrated throughout.

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