Rating: Summary: Even Better than the "Tao of Pooh"! Review: This sequel of the masterpiece "Tao of Pooh" beats the original in terms of density of ideas and clarity of presentation. It is nearly double the size of "The Tao of Pooh", hence gave me double the pleasure of reading it. Having read A.A. Milne's Pooh classics, and having thoroughly enjoyed the "Tao of Pooh", it was only natural that I buy this book and have more fun learning about Taoism through the enjoyable adventures of Pooh and Piglet.This volume focuses on the various Piglet stories, showing us how smallness can be a virtue (Te). It recounts Piglet's myriad adventures: the Heffalump, Owl's house episode, and encounters with Tigger and Eeyore to teach us about philosophical truths: things can look different that what they are, one needs to find their place and live in harmony with nature, etc. Actually, in almost an imperceptible way the author gets us to think about fundamental issues that are at the core of our relationship with the modern world. For example, how the West borrowed early scientific knowledge from the East but did not borrow the philosophical basis behind that knowledge. Since I pursue a science career, this particular issue triggers an important bell for me. One can almost sense an anti-science substratum in the book, yet as a scientist I cannot help agree with the author in many cases. Science today is like a vehicle running amok without a driver. Is this really good for us? Why aren't we even asking ourselves these questions? At least Benjamin Hoff does, and he deserves an open ear. Of course, not all the ideas are developed into an indisputable treatise. This book is classified as "humor" after all. This is perhaps appropriate since the Taoist attitude to life also depends on humor to some extent. Pooh and Piglet, the humorous characters who do not take themselves seriously are in a way the perfect vehicle to illustrate ancient Taoist principles. This is a highly recommended book!
Rating: Summary: A great book! Review: The Te of Piglet, Taoism as Described Through the Famous Lovable Character of Piglet The Te of Piglet, written by Benjamin Hoff, is not your ordinary run of the mill novel. While most novels have a plot and a conflict, The Te of Piglet is educational in nature. The Te of Piglet continues to teach Taoism, an ancient Chinese philosophy, much like the book's predecessors, The Tao of Pooh. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am a person who gets bored while reading straight information; I need the knowledge to be presented in an interesting and fascinating way. That is why I love The Te of Piglet. I can't think of a better way to talk about philosophy than through familiar lovable characters that we know from our childhood. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Hoff combined interaction with the characters, ancient stories, other philosophers and his own ideas. This allowed for the teachings of the beliefs of Taoism in a way that is easy to understand and interesting to read. I would highly suggest this book to anyone who either enjoys different, ancient philosophy or simply is a fan of Winnie the Pooh. This was a great read!
Rating: Summary: If you struggle with shoelaces, you'll love it! Review: This is the kind of book that appeals to deep thinkers. You know the sort, the folks who think that "innuendo" is a brand of Italian suppositories. If you loved Hoff's anti-scientific ravings which you read under electrically powered lights in an air-conditioned room, then used your computer to post your sycophantic droolings to the internet and do *not* see the stunning inconsistency in your worldview/lifestyle, you will similarly fail to understand the following: Hoff explains on p.191 how his MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTOR was ambushed by armed thugs and the MARTIAL ARTIST came out ahead *merely because he is small*. His training had nothing to do with it. We are meant to believe Mike Tyson doesn't fight Bantam-weights for *his* *own* *protection*. The Neo-luddite rant gets old, especially when coupled with Hoff's inability to reason. Yes, I know "reason" is a bourgeois concept but it figures so prominently in the real world. The only contributions of the West worth mentioning are velcro and telescopes. The latter he uses to gaze longingly at a fictionally romanticized China. The former he uses to replace shoelaces. D@amnably pesky, oppressive, and over-complicated shoelaces! If Hoff is an intellectually stimulating read for you, you need to seriously evaluate your reading list.
Rating: Summary: Even Better than the "Tao of Pooh"! Review: This sequel of the masterpiece "Tao of Pooh" beats the original in terms of density of ideas and clarity of presentation. It is nearly double the size of "The Tao of Pooh", hence gave me double the pleasure of reading it. Having read A.A. Milne's Pooh classics, and having thoroughly enjoyed the "Tao of Pooh", it was only natural that I buy this book and have more fun learning about Taoism through the enjoyable adventures of Pooh and Piglet. This volume focuses on the various Piglet stories, showing us how smallness can be a virtue (Te). It recounts Piglet's myriad adventures: the Heffalump, Owl's house episode, and encounters with Tigger and Eeyore to teach us about philosophical truths: things can look different that what they are, one needs to find their place and live in harmony with nature, etc. Actually, in almost an imperceptible way the author gets us to think about fundamental issues that are at the core of our relationship with the modern world. For example, how the West borrowed early scientific knowledge from the East but did not borrow the philosophical basis behind that knowledge. Since I pursue a science career, this particular issue triggers an important bell for me. One can almost sense an anti-science substratum in the book, yet as a scientist I cannot help agree with the author in many cases. Science today is like a vehicle running amok without a driver. Is this really good for us? Why aren't we even asking ourselves these questions? At least Benjamin Hoff does, and he deserves an open ear. Of course, not all the ideas are developed into an indisputable treatise. This book is classified as "humor" after all. This is perhaps appropriate since the Taoist attitude to life also depends on humor to some extent. Pooh and Piglet, the humorous characters who do not take themselves seriously are in a way the perfect vehicle to illustrate ancient Taoist principles. This is a highly recommended book!
Rating: Summary: Just Bitter Review: Hoff climbs on his soapbox and starts to rant; and I had read enough after sixty pages.
Rating: Summary: If you struggle with shoelaces, you'll love it! Review: This is the kind of book that appeals to deep thinkers. You know the sort, the folks who think that "innuendo" is a brand of Italian suppositories. If you loved Hoff's anti-scientific ravings which you read under electrically powered lights in an air-conditioned room, then used your computer to post your sycophantic droolings to the internet and do *not* see the stunning inconsistency in your worldview/lifestyle, you will similarly fail to understand the following: Hoff explains on p.191 how his MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTOR was ambushed by armed thugs and the MARTIAL ARTIST came out ahead *merely because he is small*. His training had nothing to do with it. We are meant to believe Mike Tyson doesn't fight Bantam-weights for *his* *own* *protection*. The Neo-luddite rant gets old, especially when coupled with Hoff's inability to reason. Yes, I know "reason" is a bourgeois concept but it figures so prominently in the real world. The only contributions of the West worth mentioning are velcro and telescopes. The latter he uses to gaze longingly at a fictionally romanticized China. The former he uses to replace shoelaces. D@amnably pesky, oppressive, and over-complicated shoelaces! If Hoff is an intellectually stimulating read for you, you need to seriously evaluate your reading list.
Rating: Summary: A sham. Review: I read the Tao of Pooh and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was hoping I would find the same amount of enjoyment in the Te of Piglet if not more however I was destined for disappointment. This book speaks very little about Taoism and more about his own personal social and political beliefs. I was also offended by his complete disdain of the American Military. I consider myself a Taoist and I am also a Soldier in the U.S. Army. Everyone sees the Tao in differant ways and reading through it I see conflict a natural part of the Way. Dog fight dog, cat fights cat, apes murder one another. Conflict is just as natural as a tree growing in a forest.
Rating: Summary: Absolutely tragic Review: In a nutshell, take all the wonder and whimsy and philosophical depth of the Tao of Pooh. Repeat precisely the same messages in shorter form, swapping the name Piglet for Pooh. Mix in with cynicism, complaints, whining, and just a very slight edge of borderline paranoia. Serve cold (and mirthless, and dull, etc.). This book, more than anything, seems a documentary on Benjamin Hoff's slide from philosophizing tranquilly to becoming a very bitter person. From scarcely veiled ravings against feminism (something that seems to smack of a man who recently suffered a bad breakup over macho behaviour) to railings against modern technology that harken back vaguely to the tinfoil hat crowd, this book is best appreciated as a cautionary tale that even the most seemingly solid minds can be spoiled by a life not lived carefully. The text itself, as informed above, is basically the Tao of Pooh rehashed with this depressing, trite, and minimalistic elegy for the lost innocence of Piglet, made into little more than a handpuppet for Hoff's personal agendas.
Rating: Summary: Good example of hypocrisy Review: Definetly not as good as the first. I really couldn't get over the condecending tone towards the whole loveable cast of my childhood heros. The chapter criticising feminism outraged me highly...It showed the authors obvious lack of understanding of what feminism is, even at its core, much less the understanding that there are an unlimited number of "breeds" of feminism... The whole book is hypocritical...the author spends all his time complaining about how in the wrong people who complain all the time are... Don't bother with this one.
Rating: Summary: Could've been better Review: I first read the Tao of Pooh in college and many of the ideas had a direct and lasting impact in my life. Finally, I picked up the Te of Piglet, only to find that as insightful as it tried to be the author has some serious hang ups. There were some very serious misinterpretations in this book that I consider dangerous. Mr. Hoff confuses lesbianism and feminism with man-hating, something many lesbians and feminist do not subscribe to. If you can ignore some of the sweeping mis-statements, there is something of value to be found in these pages.
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