The Tao of Pooh

by Benjamin Hoff
(1982 | 158 p)

"Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully.
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit's clever."
"And he has Brain."
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain."
There was a long silence.
"I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything."

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In this classic, Benjamin Hoff explains the principles of Taoism using the most familiar Western symbol of all, Winnie-the-Pooh. Any beginner to the philosophy of Taoism will learn some history of the movement and several basic principles: P'u (Uncarved Block), Wu Wei Wu (Doing without doing), and even the Cottleston Pie Principle. My favorite lesson is about the dreaded Bisy Backson. Hoff describes them thusly: "The Bisy Backson is always going somewhere, somewhere he hasn't been. Anywhere but where he is."

The book is fun and very readable. Hoff intersperses conversations with Pooh, Piglet and the gang with quotes from actual Taoist masters. He also throws in lots of passages from A. A. Milne's classics. This is my third reading of the book. I come back to it every few years for a pick-me-up. It's very much a "feel good" book.