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30th out of 351 books
—
47 voters
The Te Of Piglet (The Wisdom Of Pooh)
"It is hard to be brave," said Piglet, sniffing slightly, "when you're only a very small animal." Yet Piglet -- with his keen eye for every pitfall -- is asked to be brave again and again. When it comes to problems or facing any Major Danger, one can always count on Piglet. Which brings us to the wisdom of the Taoist masters as revealed in the The Te of Piglet: The Virtue...more
257 pages
Published
(first published 1992)
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Jul 18, 2008
Kathryn
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
don't bother; read Tao of Pooh instead!
Shelves:
stalled
I only made it about half-way through this book and that was a struggle--I continued only because I had such fond memories of "The Tao of Pooh." In my opinion, this is not a worthy sequel. All the sweetness and warmth of the first book, the Mile-esque style of writing, is gone. So, too, is much discussion of Taoism--and even of Piglet, for that matter. Rather, it seems a soapbox for the author's disillusionment/disgust with Western culture. Would have been much more effective if he kept the focu...more
This is like night and day compared to the Tao of Pooh.
Tao of Pooh alternated between scenes from Pooh and Hoff's explanation of what that meant in Taoist terms. The Pooh scenes really helped illustrate what he was discussing. The Te of Piglet consists more of exposition about the concept of Te and Taoism in general. There's very little effort made to tie it back to Piglet and the other Pooh characters and quite a bit of political ranting.
The few points he tried to make about Piglet he'd already...more
Tao of Pooh alternated between scenes from Pooh and Hoff's explanation of what that meant in Taoist terms. The Pooh scenes really helped illustrate what he was discussing. The Te of Piglet consists more of exposition about the concept of Te and Taoism in general. There's very little effort made to tie it back to Piglet and the other Pooh characters and quite a bit of political ranting.
The few points he tried to make about Piglet he'd already...more
In all honesty, this book was extremely disappointing compared to the first. Instead of focusing on Taoist beliefs and how the Pooh characters exhibit them, Benjamin spent much more time talking about politics, and how our country is being run wrong. Which I normally wouldn't have minded too much, because as it turns out, Mr. Hoff and I are more or less on the same page politically, but at times you could just feel his anger at the state of the country (And considering that at this point this bo...more
This book was originally rated at two stars by me because it really paled in comparison to the Tao of Pooh, which I still highly recommend.
Why is this book one star? A few reasons....
1. Hoff clearly didn't want to write it, from the way he was describing in the beginning. I don't know if there was a contractual obligation or he just realized that he liked money, but he already went into it with a little less than "pure" intent.
2. While there was still some charm in the book, it wasn't as good wi...more
Why is this book one star? A few reasons....
1. Hoff clearly didn't want to write it, from the way he was describing in the beginning. I don't know if there was a contractual obligation or he just realized that he liked money, but he already went into it with a little less than "pure" intent.
2. While there was still some charm in the book, it wasn't as good wi...more
Read this real quick for fun since someone I know sent me a copy for free. It's silly, kind of retarded, and didactic in a way that sort of reminds me of elementary school, but at the same time I couldn't help being impressed by Taoism as a premodern system of thought, even when parts of the book seemed to be made up more of Toff's opinions than Taoism itself. As a philosophy, Taoism seems a little quaint and insubstantial, but it makes up for it by being genuinely appreciative of life, gentle,...more
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This book is a good, illustrative supplement to the Tao of Pooh and there are some genuinely good suggestions on how to better order our lives within it. However, where the Tao of Pooh just touched on politics, the Te of Piglet launches into full-scale, chapter-length condemnations of political parties. With the benefit of time, the reader can see that it is not just the so-called "conservative" party that leads people everywhere into death, destruction and war, it is all parties and governments...more
This book is about 100 pages, give or take, larger than the first book on the subject matter by Hoff, The Tao of Pooh. While explaining the principles of Taoism through stories from A.A. Milne and crafting new dialogue for the characters still works, it is far less a part of this book than the previous. In fact, this book tends to go off into explanation far more than crafting examples using the character.
But the single unforgivable part of this book is the large amount of soap box talk the auth...more
But the single unforgivable part of this book is the large amount of soap box talk the auth...more
Benjamin Hoff is much stronger in his own personal views of how people in the U.S. need to behave in order to follow a better Taoist life. He criticizes so much that is wrong - toxic waste, inhumane treatment of others, the amount of money that has gone to the military, etc. He often goes in tirades, taking away my appreciation for the more gentle style and powerful wisdom in which he wrote the Tao of Pooh.
I did appreciate Hoff's characterization of Piglet, the character in Winnie the Pooh who...more
I did appreciate Hoff's characterization of Piglet, the character in Winnie the Pooh who...more
At first I enjoyed it for what I was learning about Chinese philosophy. But then he gets very political about current events in 1992, which, while also being outdated now, are not as relevant to the timeless themes he is discussing as he would think. He gets on his soapbox about his personal views, which I also see as off target and an annoyance. I wanted to read about Te and it’s relationship to Piglet, not on how he feels all the past presidents have overlooked environmental protection. Actua...more
The book is supposed to demonstrate how Piglet in the original A.A. Milne writings personified Te, or 'Virtue in Action'.
To illustrate this the author wrote a bunch of new situations for Piglet. Which defeats the entire purpose, since it forces Piglet into the mold for the philosophy instead of showing how he already conforms to it.
The author also spends a lot of time explaining how the world is in poor shape due to the "Eeyores" who complain about how the world is doomed instead of seeing thin...more
To illustrate this the author wrote a bunch of new situations for Piglet. Which defeats the entire purpose, since it forces Piglet into the mold for the philosophy instead of showing how he already conforms to it.
The author also spends a lot of time explaining how the world is in poor shape due to the "Eeyores" who complain about how the world is doomed instead of seeing thin...more
2 likes
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The Te of Piglet is a companion book to The Tao of Pooh. I own and have read The Tao of Pooh, and it's one of my newer favorite books. I was hoping that The Te of Piglet would be just like it, but it wasn't exactly the same.
This book tries to use more examples from the characters of Winnie the Pooh to explain Taoist and Buddhist philosophies, but the reason that this book doesn't quite match up to its predecessor is because the subject matter is a bit heavier. The Tao of Pooh pertains more to th...more
This book tries to use more examples from the characters of Winnie the Pooh to explain Taoist and Buddhist philosophies, but the reason that this book doesn't quite match up to its predecessor is because the subject matter is a bit heavier. The Tao of Pooh pertains more to th...more
I wanted to like this book. I remember enjoying "The Tao of Pooh" and I naturally figured this would be a companion piece in the same vein. However, in the ten years that passed between that publication and this one, Benjamin Hoff seems to have grown into a grouchy, cantankerous old man decrying the youth of America and using this book as a soapbox for his own political rants that have naught to do with Taoism, Te, Piglet or Pooh.
The book starts off fine, with some basic introductions of Taoism...more
The book starts off fine, with some basic introductions of Taoism...more
The Fèn of Eeyore.
One day I was walking through the bog, gazing wistfully at the muddy water, when I came across Eeyore in his den. A lovely smell was coming out of the crumbling donkey shelter.
"Hallo old friend. What's cooking?"
"Hola, amigo. Why this is just a simple zuppa verde. Thistles and nettles from the bog you know, but quite good when cooked in buttered broth. Farina grains add bulk and thickness, what what. Ho ho! But what's this, you're looking a bit doom-and-gloom, my friend. What ha...more
One day I was walking through the bog, gazing wistfully at the muddy water, when I came across Eeyore in his den. A lovely smell was coming out of the crumbling donkey shelter.
"Hallo old friend. What's cooking?"
"Hola, amigo. Why this is just a simple zuppa verde. Thistles and nettles from the bog you know, but quite good when cooked in buttered broth. Farina grains add bulk and thickness, what what. Ho ho! But what's this, you're looking a bit doom-and-gloom, my friend. What ha...more
I shyed away from these books (The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet) for so long because of their popularity, and I never was much of a Winnie the Pooh fan. I decided to read this book after a dream I had last year while commuting between Bend and Portland. An Asian man named "Te Walker" was leading a group of women through a treacherous mountain pass. I had the dream the night before I was to drive through the snowy pass around Mt. Hood, by scene of the accident I'd had the year before. I resea...more
I loved "The Tao of Pooh" since I felt like I was being taught Taoist philosophy from a new perspective. A refreshing perspective that I have never felt when studying Chinese Philosophy in college.
That's what I naturally thought that I was getting into with the "The Te of Piglet." But I was quite disappointed to find out that there's much more ranting than philosophy in this book. Hoff flirts with the idea briefly, but instead uses Piglet as a soap box to attack the Eeyores of the world. But wh...more
That's what I naturally thought that I was getting into with the "The Te of Piglet." But I was quite disappointed to find out that there's much more ranting than philosophy in this book. Hoff flirts with the idea briefly, but instead uses Piglet as a soap box to attack the Eeyores of the world. But wh...more
I don't understand what went wrong here. The Tao of Pooh was so great. I mean, okay, "lightning in a bottle" and "farts in a can" and all that, but still....
I think the problem is that this book feels dated. Hoff tries to give examples of the Te and Tao and other aspects by picking apart issues (in his opinion) that are plaguing American culture (feminists? really? I mean, some of them are a bit zealous, but... nevermind). And, as such, this book is placed into a very specific time. Which is soo...more
I think the problem is that this book feels dated. Hoff tries to give examples of the Te and Tao and other aspects by picking apart issues (in his opinion) that are plaguing American culture (feminists? really? I mean, some of them are a bit zealous, but... nevermind). And, as such, this book is placed into a very specific time. Which is soo...more
I love the simplicity of these narratives through the eyes of my favorite children's book characters. I grew up with the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh and to have them be transformed into this gem is all the more worthwhile. I've been on my spiritual journey for a while now and I can't help but keep coming back to Eastern philophy and religions because the connection draws me there. I feel like Western religions place too much emphasis on the seperation of us or them or do this not that when it sho...more
I didn't like this book as much as I enjoyed "The Tao of Pooh." I felt like the author used his success with his first book to impose his many views, opinions and philosophies on his readers, only occasionally sharing how those views apply -or don't apply - to the character of Piglet. I got irritated that there was so much political antagonism, environmentalist rallying, and stereotyping, all done as "examples" of how the "Western" world opposes the teachings of the Chinese Tao. There are some g...more
AUTHOR: HOFF, Benjamin
TITLE: The Te of Piglet
DATE READ: 7/17/2011
RATING: 3.0/C-
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF Pages: Philosophy/1992/Penguin Books/257 Pages
SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand Alone
TIME/PLACE: The Hundrerd Acre Wood
CHARACTERS: Piglet, Pooh, Owl, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, and Christopher Robin
FIRST LINES: One day not long ago, I found Piglet sitting by himself on the writing table, gazing wistfully out the window.
COMMENTS: A little disappointed in this one. I loved The Tao of Pooh, but I h...more
TITLE: The Te of Piglet
DATE READ: 7/17/2011
RATING: 3.0/C-
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF Pages: Philosophy/1992/Penguin Books/257 Pages
SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand Alone
TIME/PLACE: The Hundrerd Acre Wood
CHARACTERS: Piglet, Pooh, Owl, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, and Christopher Robin
FIRST LINES: One day not long ago, I found Piglet sitting by himself on the writing table, gazing wistfully out the window.
COMMENTS: A little disappointed in this one. I loved The Tao of Pooh, but I h...more
Yikes. I had hoped that Hoff would grow in the ten years after Tao of Pooh. He did: he grew batshit.
Hoff starts with a good-old-days rant about Man living in Harmony with Nature and Spirits and whatnot before a Great Separation which caused deserts to form and violence and Confucianism. Tin foil hat territory. I had to reread parts of it to see if he really meant all that... and as best I can tell, he does. Maybe in the second half of the book he goes ha-ha just kidding. I don't plan to find out...more
Hoff starts with a good-old-days rant about Man living in Harmony with Nature and Spirits and whatnot before a Great Separation which caused deserts to form and violence and Confucianism. Tin foil hat territory. I had to reread parts of it to see if he really meant all that... and as best I can tell, he does. Maybe in the second half of the book he goes ha-ha just kidding. I don't plan to find out...more
Jul 30, 2011
Joseph Dunn
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
eastern-philosophy-spirituality
I really looked forward to this one. After just finishing the Tao of Pooh, I was in the mood, it was fresh in my mind, I was ready to put this in context with its companion. Unfortunately, the result was disappointing. The Te of Piglet began with a solid premise, however it failed to accomplish what it set out to do.
The premise is that Piglet represents Te, meaning "virtue in action." To be more specific it is the virtue that arises from the inner nature of things, a hidden potential, a spiritua...more
The premise is that Piglet represents Te, meaning "virtue in action." To be more specific it is the virtue that arises from the inner nature of things, a hidden potential, a spiritua...more
After reading this book, I cannot look back at The Tao of Pooh without thinking of Pooh an unthinking dimwit. The author, Hoff, tries to explain living with virtue and in harmony with the natural world or Te. Hoff, does a good job of using previously written works to illustrate his points, but comes short when using Milne's characters. In fact as the book went on, I began to dislike the character of little Piglet.
My major gripe with this book is that Ben Hoff decided to pull out his soapbox and...more
My major gripe with this book is that Ben Hoff decided to pull out his soapbox and...more
Another average read by Hoff. He really lets loose against the academics and all of Western civilization in this one, while drooling and playing the sycophant for everything Chinese, even the current regime who he brags has young children planting trees and plants (bizarre!). Does he not remember Tiananmen square in 1989? This book was written in 1992, yet he seems to gloss over that, if not outright ignore it completely. He rips all of Western science in one paragraph, and praises all Chinese i...more
Much of the simplicity and humour found in Benjamin Hoff's The Tao of Pooh has been lost in the Te of Piglet. I felt there to be a lot more anger, if that is the right word, or perhaps frustration at the world, found in this book. However, if one merely takes it for what it is, and reads it, a small and simple lesson can still be gained. Everyone is a Very Small Animal at times; we're human. However, it's not a disability. Rather, embedded in what-felt-like-negative-emotions-to-me, is a simple l...more
I don’t know … I felt like this took a 180-degree sharp turn about two-thirds of the way through, moving from the Pooh/Tao analogy that made his first book so charmingly accessible, to a diatribe against modern politics. Despite being published 15 years ago, the diatribe still works today, unfortunately.
But I didn’t pick this up for the diatribe. If he ran out of analogy, maybe the book should’ve been slimmer.
As for that analogy, Piglet does make a lovely persona for Te, or “virtue in action.”...more
But I didn’t pick this up for the diatribe. If he ran out of analogy, maybe the book should’ve been slimmer.
As for that analogy, Piglet does make a lovely persona for Te, or “virtue in action.”...more
Mar 01, 2012
Crankyfacedknitter
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Shelves:
52-in-52-challenge
I loved The Tao Of Pooh, but this one is even easier for me to relate to, being a Piglet myself. This is about a different aspect of Taoism: the Small, the child, the feminine, the not-strong. These are things my culture has for a very long time disparaged, dismissed, or simply forgotten about. Although there are several children's books about how it isn't bad to be small, the societal focus right now is about accepting differences - which is good, but not quite the same - instead of celebrating...more
This was less an instructional book about how the concept of Te is exemplified in the character of Piglet than a diatribe on the ills of the Modern Western World. Mr. Hoff's views on education, feminism, consumerism, and the destruction of our natural world are really what this book is about. He had some points I agreed with and some points that were dulled with general inaccuracy. He really lost me when he, a writer, wondered why feminists care so much about words. He came down hard on poor Eey...more
Hoff's companion book to his already influential Tao of Pooh steps up the message by having something- someone- with whom to connect. Perhaps Piglet is not one that all can relate to; however, It is undeniable that Te of Piglet provides an uplifting source of wisdom with which to hold on to when feeling weak or lost. Again, the spirituality of the book can connect to anyone, but this time around Hoff adds to it all with a message for anyone who perceives the world as imposing or threatening or f...more
Sometimes in life Eeyore's invade your life and try to ruin it, i now know that if you follow your own way and try to stay open minded about life, you will be a better person and you will in turn, know more. Taoism is a combination of interesting principals that I never knew. It has taught me to notice more and keep my eyes open all while keeping in mind the idea of "change is good" and "kindness" is the only way to live fully. To be better, you have to change and understand that people around y...more
The "sequel" to The Tao of Pooh appears to be a great idea. Another book further expanding on the principles of Taoism, with Piglet being the central character and focus. The message about one's size and the ability to change despite one's limitations is very powerful at its core. However, what detracts from this book is the preaching that Hoff gets into midway through the book. I found that though I agreed with many of his beliefs, the tone and his stern convictions came across negatively. If I...more
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Benjamin Hoff is an author based in the United States. The two books he is proud of are The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet. Hoff has an essay online:
http://www.benjaminhoffauthor.com/ This is the only website he has officially endorsed or been involved with.
More about Benjamin Hoff...
http://www.benjaminhoffauthor.com/ This is the only website he has officially endorsed or been involved with.
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“It is very hard to be brave," said Piglet, sniffing slightly, "when you're only a Very Small Animal."
Rabbit, who had begun to write very busily, looked up and said: "It is because you are a very small animal that you will be Useful in the adventure before us.”
—
33 people liked it
Rabbit, who had begun to write very busily, looked up and said: "It is because you are a very small animal that you will be Useful in the adventure before us.”
“Thousands of years ago, man lived in harmony with the rest of the natural world. Through what we would today call Telepathy, he communicated with animals, plants, and other forms of life-none of which he considered "beneath" himself, only different, with different jobs to perform. He worked side by side with earth angels and nature spirits, with whom he shared responsibility for taking care of the world.”
—
17 people liked it
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