The Tao of Pooh is a book by Benjamin Hoff (Dutton Books: 1982, ISBN 0-525-24458-1). The book is an elementary but entertaining 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 in simple terms the basic principles of philosophical Taoism. The book also includes many 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 used in college religion courses. It is criticized by some scholars on Taoism for imposing Western categories which have no place in the history of Chinese thought, such as "religion" and "philosophy", onto Taoism, creating a vision of Taoism that has nothing to do with Taoism as a way of life. Although people have vastly differing views on what "Taoism" is, the book has been praised for successfully introducing Taoist concepts to much of the western world.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a basic understanding of Taoism.
Winnie the Pooh is one of my all time favorite classic stories---I have a big edition that I keep on my desk at home and I read it on rainy days when I have no where to go.
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