The timing of this read was intentional. Mired in the chaos of NaNoWriMo, I knew I would need something that was not only calming, but nonfiction. There are those who prefer to read fiction to inspire or comfort them while in the midst of a major writing project, but I knew that it would be distracting - I'd either get caught up in the storyline (and forget where I was going with mine) or the writing style would serve as a constant reminder of what tripe I was producing. A gentle philosophy book starring a Bear of Little Brain seemed to be just what I was looking for.And in that respect, it was. However, I was not so impressed with the ideas presented in this book. It seemed to spend too much time explaining why Confucianism (which it consistently referred to as "Confusion"), Knowledge, and Cleverness were not the correct paths in life. I disagree; I believe that everything has its proper place. Perhaps we put too much emphasis on the latter two, but shunning them completely is not the answer. Things do not magically fall into place by doing Nothing all the time. Trust me, I've tried it. It's relaxing, to be sure, until things start falling apart and suddenly you have to become a "Busy Backson" to catch up.This was not a bad book, to be sure, and I am open to the possibility that I missed the point entirely. It was light and fun and in fact quite Clever. Its biggest benefit, however, was to instill in me a desire to read the A. A. Milne tales that inspired Hoff to write this book in the first place. ( )

I should have read this book before the nitpickery of John Tyerman Williams. Clearly, Taoism is _the_ philosophy of Pooh. Pooh's childlike, uncynical view of the world and the contrast between him and the other Hundred-Acre-Wooders is like a textbook example of some core values of Taoism (this is the only book on Tao which I have read, so I can't say whether the examples represent actual Tao).

The account on Tao is very unspecific, at times it feels like a cheap self-help opus (relax, know your weaknesses, conform to nature etc.), but the ideas are truly timeless and since Hoff writes about them in an easy, fluent and fun to read way, you can't help being somewhat affected. I don't agree with all the modern day critique (you can be "restless" in a positive, creative way), but all in all it's a great, quick read.

Some of the "dialogue" between the author and the Pooh characters is annoying. ( )

I love this little book, full of ideas and themes ... it lives on my bookshelf at work and I frequently dip in for a little inspiration ... ( )

I loved this book when I first read it, and picking it up again years later after having read much more about Taoism/Buddhism/Confucianism I was dismayed at how poorly represented those traditions were. The overall message of the book isn't too bad, but the actors he uses to play out his stories to do not represent the real world traditions he alludes to. ( )

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.

“Pooh?”, he whispered.
“Yes, Piglet?”
“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw.

“I just wanted to be sure of you.”

As a lifelong Winnie the Pooh fan, I was delighted to count The Tao of Pooh among my most recent reads. In an almost serendipitous fashion, The Tao of Pooh has enabled me to further my quasi-spiritual journey of books. Indeed, I have been exploring the state of my Ego and inner truths lately, learning to meditate in an effort to revert to a slightly more relaxed and more mindful mindset.

In this particular case, the author beautifully transports the reader to A. A. Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood to meet Pooh, Piglet, and friends who are illustrated in a Zen light which enables us to draw the greatest life lesson of all: childlike innocence and simple living are essential elements to a life worth exploring and savouring without the artifice of pretension nor world weary experiences. ( )