The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

This book explains the principles of Taoism using examples from Winnie the Pooh and dialogue between the author and various characters. It's cute and engaging and serves as a pretty good introduction to Taoist thought. However, I have several problems with the book.

It never mentions that Lao Tzu, the supposed author of the Tao Te Ching, probably didn't exist. "Lao Tzu" means old man, and is more of a genre, compiled in 300 BCE by a circle of scholarly gentlemen named the Shih during the Warring States period. They were concerned with cultivating moral and spiritual excellence and reforming the nature of Chinese politics. I think that understanding the context of Taoism helps to understand the Tao.

Also, Hoff briefly compares Taoism to Confucianism and Buddhism. However, he neglects to mention the Legalists and Mohists, two competing schools of thought that existed at the same time as Taoism.

In addition, reading the Tao of Pooh, one would never gather that Taoism is a negative theology, that it doesn't describe the Tao directly, but rather proceeds by way of negation. For instance, chapter one of the Tao Te Ching describes the tao as follows: "The way that can be spoken of is not the constant way; the name that can be named is not the constant name".

The Tao Te Ching is not inaccessible on its own. I would recommend reading the primary source directly, as opposed to Hoff's book.

Edit: I found this online. It appears to be the Tao of Pooh.. I'm not sure how legal that is, but here's a link: http://spoerlein.iwarp.com/pooh1.html