The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff

[Adam]

Thoughts and adventures of the great Western Taoist, Winnie the Pooh.

My choice for An Intriguing Title.

It is an interesting take on the story to try and explain Winnie the Pooh in terms of Taoist philosophy. For the most part, I’ve been enjoying the experience, but the utter contempt the author seems to feel for half the characters and all other mindsets is starting to get on my nerves.

There is something ironic in preaching that it is important to accept the world the way it is and then spending several pages bitching about modern society.

[Adam]

That was alright in the start when it was about Tao and The Way, but around halfway through it became about the author bitching about modern society. It really began to piss me off. By the end of it, he was just spouting nonsense and pretending it automatically made his viewpoint accurate. At one point he started a story about a Japanese Emperor ruling a Confusian state name Yen Wei, and there are so many things wrong with that story that I just couldn’t be bothered listening.

It’s a good premise, if only the author didn’t have to be such an arse about it. The basic premise of Tao (at least according to this book) is to accept life the way it is and live life to the fullest in a state of unthinking peace, that even in the act of drinking vinegar, joy can be found, but he ends the book by exclaiming that unless we change our thinking the world will become a horrible place. Practice what you preach. The terrible mess of conflicting thoughts and ideas simply ruins the book in the most ironic of ways.

I’m going off to find a book on Rationality.