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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
My Shayla đĽš
This reads like youâre in a blanket. It feels like the opposite of a dental visit; hopeful and encouraging. I would actually read this during a dental visit, to neutralise the âexperiment specimenâ vibe
This reads like youâre in a blanket. It feels like the opposite of a dental visit; hopeful and encouraging. I would actually read this during a dental visit, to neutralise the âexperiment specimenâ vibe
If heâd left it at The Tao of Pooh, I probably would have rated it 3.5 or 4 stars. For someone whoâs interested in Taoism, itâs a reasonably whimsical and engaging read. But The Te of Piglet is awful. Hoff slips into ranting Grandpa Simpson mode and I wanted to toss the book out the window.
Growing up, apparently I adored Winnie the Pooh. I loved it like any infant loves anything; it was there, fluffy, and brightly colored. By the time I had any say in the matter, the momentum of sentimentality had swept me up, and I was awash with dolls and loving anecdotes about my doting affection to said dolls. As an adult, I find the affable bearcumbersome cumbersome sometimes -- he is just so obtuse.
The same might be said about this book, composed of two of Hoff's novels, The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet, written ten years apart. The books play as user guides to lived Taoism through Winnie the Pooh and Piglet (the Pig? the Pooh? the Robbin?), and it is filled to the brim of those far East reversal platitudes that have been repeated so often in popular culture as to become memes. Learning is unlearning, being is unbeing, wax on, wax off, you know the lines. I don't want to review the tenets of Taoism other than to say while Hoff explicitly states that Taoism doesn't espouse passivity, it certainly seems to like wearing all passivity's clothing, going on about town dressed as passivity, signing checks with passivity's name, etc. There's plenty of fodder in the novel itself, from the meandering pacing to the completely out of left field attacks on politically correct culture and the 'war on chivalry'. There is a certain undertone to the politically-laced chapters from the *Te of Piglet* that recalls the same populist arguments we have heard over the last four years in America, and for a Taoist Hoff borders on the downright angry at times in those chapters.
If there are villains in the 100 Acre Woods, they are certainly found in Clever Rabbit, Wise Owl, and Dismal Eeyore. In contrast, there is Winnie the Pooh of the Eternal Present, the lovable, affable, lovably affable bear. While Rabbit is too clever for his own good, Pooh lets the way of the universe take him wherever it may go (just make sure you have some honey lying around -- someone who is eternally present so frequently has no food of their own). Where Owl is studious and lost in his books, Pooh reads the text of the Universe. Where Eeyore is a pessimist, constantly bemoaning how the universe has let him down, Pooh doesn't expect of the universe, for it just is. It seems Hoff took the directive to heart; the novel meandering from chapter to chapter like one prong of its two-headed source material, the Tao Te Ching*. I can't help but think the book club psychology could've been distilled to a bulleted list to save us all the effort.
The same might be said about this book, composed of two of Hoff's novels, The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet, written ten years apart. The books play as user guides to lived Taoism through Winnie the Pooh and Piglet (the Pig? the Pooh? the Robbin?), and it is filled to the brim of those far East reversal platitudes that have been repeated so often in popular culture as to become memes. Learning is unlearning, being is unbeing, wax on, wax off, you know the lines. I don't want to review the tenets of Taoism other than to say while Hoff explicitly states that Taoism doesn't espouse passivity, it certainly seems to like wearing all passivity's clothing, going on about town dressed as passivity, signing checks with passivity's name, etc. There's plenty of fodder in the novel itself, from the meandering pacing to the completely out of left field attacks on politically correct culture and the 'war on chivalry'. There is a certain undertone to the politically-laced chapters from the *Te of Piglet* that recalls the same populist arguments we have heard over the last four years in America, and for a Taoist Hoff borders on the downright angry at times in those chapters.
âRabbit'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.â
If there are villains in the 100 Acre Woods, they are certainly found in Clever Rabbit, Wise Owl, and Dismal Eeyore. In contrast, there is Winnie the Pooh of the Eternal Present, the lovable, affable, lovably affable bear. While Rabbit is too clever for his own good, Pooh lets the way of the universe take him wherever it may go (just make sure you have some honey lying around -- someone who is eternally present so frequently has no food of their own). Where Owl is studious and lost in his books, Pooh reads the text of the Universe. Where Eeyore is a pessimist, constantly bemoaning how the universe has let him down, Pooh doesn't expect of the universe, for it just is. It seems Hoff took the directive to heart; the novel meandering from chapter to chapter like one prong of its two-headed source material, the Tao Te Ching*. I can't help but think the book club psychology could've been distilled to a bulleted list to save us all the effort.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Some of the teaching in this book are interesting, but a lot of the examples I feel are also quite extreme and polarising. It is very informative and interesting to think about and puts things into different perspectives, so as something introductory it is very good.
The Tao of Pooh (4 stars): Humorous introduction to the basic tenets of Taoism through children's literature and witty comparisons to modern life. By no means a comprehensive dive into the belief system and its current forms, it prepares the reader to seek more for themselves. A wonderful read for one new to the area.
The Te of Piglet (2 stars): Clearly a later addition that "piggy" backs off the first installment (originally conceived as a standalone). While the author's voice comes through much more clearly than in Pooh, this is with the sacrifice of primary source comparisons. There are moments when the author's voice becomes a bit too clear where he posits his personal opinions with little relation to Taoist principles.
The Te of Piglet (2 stars): Clearly a later addition that "piggy" backs off the first installment (originally conceived as a standalone). While the author's voice comes through much more clearly than in Pooh, this is with the sacrifice of primary source comparisons. There are moments when the author's voice becomes a bit too clear where he posits his personal opinions with little relation to Taoist principles.
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
âď¸âď¸âď¸.5 - A great introduction to Taoism, itâs funny and easy to read. The Tao of Pooh itself is worth 4/5 but the Te of Piglet makes it a bit hard to follow as the content jumps around quite a bit. Overall a very nice read.