Winnie the Pooh is the most beloved bear in the world and one of the reasons for this is his particular way of doing things. Benjamin Hoffman brilliantly shoes the similarity between Pooh's Way and Taoism. His book explains both Taoism by Winnie-the-Pooh, and it also deciphers Winne-the-Pooh's philosophy by using Taoism. A.A. Milner once said that he did not write the Winnie The Pooh books for children in the first place and Hoff''s stance definitely supports this. Taoism' principles were developed over the centuries and are divided into philosophical, monastic and folk religious forms, but basic Taoism is simply a particular way of appreciating and working with what happens in everyday life. The pleasant result of this harmonious way of looking at things is happiness.
Because Pooh tends to see the best in everyone and everything and thinks with his heart instead of his brain (Piglet points out that he is a bear of very little brain) he is the ultimate Taoist thinker and therefore the perfect vessel for Hoff's explanation of Taoism.
Hoff wrote the book whilst working as a tree pruner in the Portland Japanese Garden in Washington Park. This immersion in Asian surroundings and culture triggered his interest in Taoism and he wrote the book at night to accommodate his day job. The book was an immediate hit and was in the New York Times bestseller list for forty-nine weeks. It is also used in several college philosophy courses as required reading.
