The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

"Winnie-the-Pooh has a certain Way about him, a way of doing things that has made him the world's most beloved bear. In The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff shows that Pooh's Way is amazingly consistent with the principles of living envisioned by the Chinese founders of Taoism. The author's explanation of Taoism through Pooh, and Pooh through Taoism, shows that this is not simply an ancient and remote philosophy but something you can use, here and now. And what is Taoism? It's really very simple. It calls for living without preconceived ideas about how life should be lived--but it's not a preconception of how life--it's.... Well, you'd do better to listen to this book, and listen to Pooh, if you really want to find out." (Penguin, publisher’s description)

The publisher's description and the foreword of The Tao of Pooh well summarizes the book. In short, Benjamin Hoff -- an award winning American author, Taoist, and Asian culture enthusiast -- denied someone's claim that the Great Masters of Wisdom all came from the East. He did so using a quote from the Western work Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne. So came the idea: "to write a book that explained the principles of Taoism through Winnie-the-Pooh, and explained Winnie-the-Pooh through the principles of Taoism"(pg xii). Hoff weaves Asian history, Taoist ideologies, and literary analyses of the world of A.A. Milne into a narrative starring the one and only Pooh Bear.

For an analytical work, it is unexpectedly vibrant all due to the design of the narrative. Imagine those half-animated half-live action movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. That's how this book reads. From the first page, the reader is drawn to a desk where the author is writing The Tao of Pooh ("The How of Pooh?... The Tao of Who?...) when Pooh Bear climbs onto the desk asking questions and smudging words on the page. The entire book feels like watching this conversation unfold between children's cartoons -- all captured with acute accuracy compared to the original texts -- and the writer. It's a great balance in content and creates a grounded mental image for the reader.

I very much enjoyed the author's voice. It complements the layout of information -- the volleying between analysis, in-the-moment conversation with Pooh and his friends, and inserts from other texts including A.A. Milne's original texts, the Tao Te Ching, and more -- as it is both soft and understanding while also providing clear explanations of thought. The balance between lightheartedness and critical thinking is striking. Neither one overwhelms the other by any means. Hoff also likes to play with words amidst conveying his argument that Pooh Bear and Taoism are reflective of one another. For example, when discussing the different worlds of thought present in Asian culture -- Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism -- he jokes "In the classic Taoist manner, we won't try too hard or explain too much, because that would only Confuse things..."(pg10). Most lines have layered meanings. Whether it be playing with words like "confuse" and "Confucianism", or explaining Taoist principles by creating an example within the explanation ("in the classic Taoist manner..."), the density makes it a much heartier read than expected. It's even down to the connection between Pooh's name and the concept of P'u, or the Uncarved Block. Hoff says, "This basic Taoist principle applies not only to things in their natural beauty and function but to people as well. Or Bears. Which brings us to Pooh, the very Epitome of the Uncarved Block. As an illustration of the principle, he may appear a bit too simple at times…"(pg 11).

The Tao of Pooh is great for those interested in philosophy, sociology, religious studies, or anything in that vein of thought. It is also great for those interested in the literary side and the deep dive into a well-known, well-loved story. It's advertised by most retailers for 16 to 18 years and up; but, it is very accessible to any age group, especially for example if a young reader showed budding interest in other religious thoughts or other cultures relating to that of the West.

An interesting note, taken from Wikipedia related to the availability of The Tao of Pooh:

"In April 2018, Hoff wrote a letter to his publisher informing them that he planned to recapture the copyright for The Tao of Pooh on December 15, 2018. He cited revised U.S. copyright law and explained that his reasoning for wanting to recapture the copyright was what he deemed general mistreatment by the publisher and a lack of acknowledgement of his accomplishments by them. He was able to successfully recapture the copyright. Hoff published all of the correspondence about this process on his personal website."