Benjamin Hoff writes accessible books that use characters from A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories to explain ideas associated with Taoism. The Tao of Pooh presents Pooh's simplicity, patience and lack of self-conscious striving as examples of Taoist principles, contrasting him with more anxious or intellectual characters. The Te of Piglet turns to Piglet's apparent weakness and uses it to discuss virtue, humility and quiet strength. Hoff's writing is conversational, playful and introductory rather than an academic study of Chinese philosophy, with quotations and fictional dialogue used to make concepts memorable. His work fits popular philosophy, Taoism for general readers and literary self-help built around familiar children's characters. The Tao of Pooh is the better starting point and suits readers who want an informal introduction to Taoist ideas through literary analogy; it is not a substitute for translations of Taoist philosophical texts or a scholarly history of Taoism. Read more Less
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