The Tao of Pooh
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The Tao of Pooh is a book written by Benjamin Hoff (Dutton Books: 1982, ISBN 0-525-24458-1). The book is an introduction to Taoism, using the fictional character of Winnie the Pooh. Hoff also wrote The Te of Piglet, a companion book.
Hoff uses Winnie the Pooh and the other characters from A. A. Milne's stories to explain the basic principles of philosophical Taoism. Winnie the Pooh, for example, represents the principles of Wu Wei or Wei Wu Wei. The book also includes translated excerpts from various Taoist texts, from authors such as Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi.
The book was on the New York Times bestseller list, and is often[citation needed] used in college religion courses. It is criticized by some[who?] Taoist scholars for imposing impertinent religious and philosophical Western categories on the history of Chinese thought and Taoism; thus creating a vision that has nothing to do with Taoism as a way of life.[citation needed] It has also been criticized for its bias against other religions and thoughts. Though people have vastly differing views on what Taoism actually is, the book has been praised[who?] for successfully introducing Taoist concepts to much of the western world.
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