Books usually serve one of four purposes: to entertain, to inform, to persuade or to inspire. Rarely does a book fit nicely into all four categories, so when you find one that does, you know it’s special. “The Tao of Pooh” is one of those incredibly special books.
Readers are probably asking, “The What of Pooh?” or “The Tao of Who?” Well, let me explain (but not too much, as Taoists would say). Let’s start with what most people already know.
Pooh (yes, as in Deep-in-the-Hundred-Acre-Wood-Winnie-the-Pooh) is main character in a classic children’s bedtime story written by A. A. Milne for his son, Christopher Robin. This “Bear of Very Little Brain” appeared in only two books by Milne: “Winnie-the-Pooh” and “House on Pooh Corner,” but Pooh quickly became a beloved hero to all who read about him.
The other side of “The Tao of Pooh” is the Tao (pronounced Dao), an ancient Chinese philosophy or religion, however individuals personally would like to apply it. The Tao is so simple that it’s difficult to explain. Roughly, “Tao” translates to “Way,” which can mean lots of things in
English, such as course, method, path, practice or guide. But even attempting to define the Tao with synonyms complicates it because, simply put, the Tao just is, much like Pooh just is. (Are you getting it?)
Benjamin Hoff, the brilliant author of “The Tao of Pooh,” perhaps explains it best in the foreword:
“‘What is this you’re writing?’ asked Pooh, climbing onto the writing table.
‘The Tao of Pooh,’ I replied.
‘The how of Pooh?’ asked Pooh, smudging one of the words I had just written.
‘The Tao of Pooh,’ I replied, poking his paw away with my pencil.
‘It seems more like the ow! of Pooh,’ said Pooh, rubbing his paw.
‘Well, it’s not,’ I replied huffily.
‘What’s it about?’ asked Pooh, leaning forward and smearing another word.
‘It’s about how to stay happy and calm under all circumstances!’ I yelled.
‘Have you read it?’ asked Pooh.”
The “Tao of Pooh” continues on like this, with little conversations here and there between the author and Pooh and the whole gang (Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl and, of course, the rascally Tigger). There are also small passages from Milne’s books that illustrate the Taoist principles through the quiet, still and simpleminded hero, as well as the opposite side of living life through the rest of the gang.
Through this book, originally published in 1982, the reader begins to understand many things, including life and how to un-complicate it, why Pooh was the true hero of the stories and perhaps most importantly, you begin to understand yourself. At least, that’s what happened to me when I first read it seven years ago. I have since read it every time I feel lost, sad, angry or helpless (simply put, I’ve read it too many times to remember). This is the book that first introduced me to Taoism and has gotten me through a lot of stressful times.
The simplicity of this book was first what drew me in. The text is large, which makes reading it a breeze (you could easily read this book in a day if you had the time). The way Hoff explains things is also incredibly simple for anyone to understand, and finding the Tao through the lovable Winnie-the-Pooh makes it all the more enjoyable.
Another great aspect of this book is that Hoff discusses the characteristics of the other animals found in the Hundred Acre Wood and explains why they were never the hero of the classic tales. Hoff details why the reader should strive to not be a Hesitant Piglet (so timid he can’t see his own strengths) or the “Bisy Backson” Rabbit (“Let’s put it this way: If you want to be healthy, relaxed, and contented, just watch what a Bisy Backson does and then do the opposite. There’s one now, pacing back and forth, jingling the loose coins in his pocket, nervously glancing at his watch. He makes you feel tired just looking at him”). There’s also the Grumpy Eeyore (“As anyone who doesn’t have it can see, the Eeyore Attitude gets in the way of things like wisdom and happiness, and pretty much prevents any sort of real Accomplishment in life”) and the Scholarly Owl (those who use their knowledge to make others feel worthless or stupid, rather than “working for the enlightenment of others”) as well as the Bouncy Tigger (those who think they can do everything and, of course, they can do it better than you) that no one really wants to be like.
Hoff asks “Do you want to be really happy? You can begin by being appreciative of who you are and what you’ve got.” Reading this amazing book is also a good step in that direction. You won’t regret it.

[email protected]