Last summer I visited
Eugene O'Neil's house in Danville. He was really into Taoism (his whole house was formulated to be Taoist) and the gift shop had both the Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet. I have to admit, one of the reasons I got the Te of Piglet rather than the Tao of Pooh is because of an admittedly shallow attraction to Piglet (cute, pink, A Very Small Animal). So, it is no wonder that I never actually got around to reading it...until now.
I started the book last night and almost could not put it down (sleep and common sense eventually won over). It makes so much sense to me on so many levels. It talks about how humans became hateful/ overcome with a sense of self/ arrogant and lost touch with their roots. None of it sounds preachy, though, and it's a thoroughly enjoyable and easy read. One of the best parts is that Hoff talks about Taoism through the lens of A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books, citing passages and explaining Taoist reasoning through the "wisdom" of Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo and Pooh.
I adore this book and how it really delves into tons of "deep" issues such as environmentalism, feminism, etc., and talks about how it all relates to the philosophy of Taoism. I could try to explain exactly what is Taoism for ages but...just go and read the book! Seriously, it's worth it. Even if you don't have much time. :bear:
