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The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff, takes Taoism and compares its philosophy to the charming little Winnie-the-Pooh. I adore the way Hoff has constructed this book, as he makes it so he converses with Pooh bear himself along with the other familiar faces in the hundred acre wood. The dialogue between the author and Pooh was witty, and nostalgic which made me smile. Benjamin Hoff takes A. A. Milne's tales and E. H. Shepard's illustrations and in his own way breaks them down to teach the reader about Taoism. Using each character, he strips back their qualities and dives deeper into how in his mind, our fellow friends from the hundred acre wood can be related to Taoism and Chinese philosophy.Personally I don't know much about any Chinese philosophy but I felt that despite the message being interesting at times it was more so, almost rant-like and ridiculing everyone else's thoughts and beliefs. I got to a point halfway through where I felt the extracts from Taoists and A. A. Milne where overshadowed by the authors opinion. When reading, I often interpreted the sources in one way and then Benjamin Hoff would come in with his own idles that I didn't feel added up quite right to what the sections of text he had chosen where conveying. I'm a massive fan of Winnie-the-Pooh as I am sure many others are, and when I saw this book I got very excited. The concept enticed me as I began to think about Pooh's free spirit and wise demeanor. This being said, I believe Winnie-the-Pooh carries this book in more ways than the text does. When Hoff breaks down Taoism, he also compares other types of people and their ways of life, in which I felt he was rather dismissive. There are a few fragments in the book where these 'other ways of life' are compared to Rabbit and Owl, with their scholarly ways. I know these are fictional characters, but I found myself getting offended on behalf of these familiar characters that paved so many people's childhoods as they where called and disregarded for approaching life differently. Tao of Pooh is a bold move of a book. To take something people hold so dear to them, something so significant as Winnie-the-Pooh and do what you wish, is of course going to be met with mixed emotions. It doesn't take Chinese Philosophy, or any Philosophy for that matter to makes us aware that Winnie-the-Pooh is one wise little bear who can teach us so much. Please know, I always write my reviews with honesty, as it is my own opinion. Just because it's not my jar of honey doesn't mean it won't be yours.

Charming, Philosophical, Brilliant, and Charming. Did I say Charming?

I was initially intrigued by this book due to my interest in philosophy and love for Winnie the Pooh, but unfortunately, the writing and explanations of concepts fell short of my expectations. Benjamin Hoff's dismissive attitude towards science and learning was frustrating and detracted from the overall reading experience. Despite this, I am now motivated to seek out a better resource for understanding the concepts of Taoism.