Reddit reviews The Tao of Pooh
We found 50 Reddit comments about The Tao of Pooh. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Great product!
Reddit reviews The Tao of PoohWe found 50 Reddit comments about The Tao of Pooh. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
He is a Taoist.
If you like this, and haven't read The Tao of Pooh, do yourself a favor and read it right now.
The Tao of Pooh
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging. I'm starting this comment off with this book because it is, far beyond the shadow of a doubt, the most important book that every man should read. It is primarily meant for soldiers in the US military but god damn dude every fucking male on this planet needs to read this fucking book, plus it's less than 200 pages. If someone comes up to you and tells you that you can only read one more book ever again let it be this one. If you buy any book recommended here today, it absolutely needs to be this one. If you're one of those dudes that is in a sort of "melancholy" where you're not "living" life, you're just sort of "existing", this book can really help you sort things out. Fuck, buy this book even if you're one of the women of /r/AskMen.
The book question gets asked from time to time in this subreddit and I actually bought some of the books that people were recommending. Most of them (in my opinion) suck sweaty ass but a few were actually good. Here's a general run down of the books I bought from a thread asking the same question.
From best to worst. Keep in mind that this is just my opinion and shouldn't be treated as the law of the land.
Man's Search for Meaning. Written by a Jewish man who survived Nazi concentration camps. Unlike a lot of concentration camp books it doesn't go over the physical torture aspect of it. He talks about what was going through his mind and the way that other prisoners acted. The talks about his mental state and what got him and others through one of the most devastating crimes against humanity. Craziest part is when they get liberated. The prisoners are allowed to go into the nearby town and most of them think to themselves "this isn't real, this is bullshit" at which point they head back to the concentration camp.
The Tao of Pooh. The author conveys the lessons of Buddhist Taoism through Winnie the Pooh stories he made with commentary in between the stories. Started off good but I skipped the Pooh stories and went straight to the commentary, having to read excerpts that are meant for 3 year olds got old really quick. The book spirals into a steaming pile of shit towards the end. Te author starts inserting personal opinion into the commentary and talking shit on types of people he doesn't like. He talks shit on scientists for studying birds (let the birds be birds), joggers (all that running and they never go anywhere), and people who try to develop cures for diseases (let nature run its course). He tries to back all his opinions up with this totally bullshit story about a Chinese man who lived to be 250 years old. I don't know how sheltered and naive you have to be to think that you can live to 250 by "going for brisk walks" and "eating only vegetables" but the author makes himself look like a complete asshat by putting faith in the story.
The Stranger. The book tries to convey that the universe is indifferent to you and your problems (which it is) but the author presents it in a painfully boring manner.
The Meditations. A Roman emperors diary and notes on stoicism. Super fucking hard to read. "I thank my mother for teaching me motherly things. I thank my father for teaching me fatherly things. I thank my teacher for sharing knowledge. I thank my friends for being there for me." I couldn't make it to page 10. Shit was just too fucking repetitive.
I highly recommend you check out The Tao of Pooh. Its a relatively short book, and its a very cool read.
Man this is a tough question. Buddhism is not easy to understand. The best "Intro to Buddhism" books I know, half of my friends (in their early 20's) would have a very difficult time understanding.
Although it's not a Buddhist book, perhaps she would enjoy The Tao of Pooh which uses the Winne the Pooh characters (pictures too!) to explain Taoism. Although Taoism is different than Buddhism, this book may help your daughter to lighten up on the tough existential questions, and to try to simply enjoy life and be present.
 
In a few years, to introduce her to Buddhism, I'd recommend What the Buddha Taught, Awakening the Buddha Within, Mindfulness In Plain English, and the Dhammapada - which is a collection of verses/sayings that are said to represent the essential core of Buddhist teachings.
 
The Dalai Lama is my favorite spiritual teacher, but I think his books can be a little difficult, especially for someone so young. I remember when I first started dwelling on existential questions in high school, I borrowed the Dalai Lama's Meaning of Life from my Dad. Although the book was difficult, it was one of the main factors responsible for me starting to seriously pursue Buddhism.
Great book indeed.
Check out The Tao of Pooh... Yes, it's about Winnie The Pooh. Pooh gets all the honnies.
The Tao of Pooh
Read the Tao of Pooh. It goes over the various roles of each character and how their flaws reveal their inability to be happy, meanwhile, Pooh's ignorance is blissful.
Benjamin Hoff - [The Tao of Pooh] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477)
It's a great explanation of Taoism through Winnie the Pooh. The Taoism and spirituality isn't watered down at all, despite the usage of Pooh as metaphor.
> Does this mean I need to be more comfortable with myself?
Yeah, this is a lot of it. I think for some people with a lack of confidence in themselves or comfort with who they are, they tend to over-focus on their partner and making them happy. Doing good things for your partner is great, but relationships aren;t supposed to be just mutual exchange of nice behaviour. Its a joint project.
To participate in something jointly you need to feel a certain level of self confidence and belief that you are a good person.To give an example, those that have low self esteem often feel their s/o is too good for them and when the s/o realises ti will end. THose with a little more belief in themselves see their wonderful s/o being with them as a sign that they are doing (some of) the right things.
You sound like a good guy, you care for your wife, you want to understand. Thats good! Build ont that! Don't turn into an arrogant idiot, but take a little credit for the good things in your life.
I guess that might be what she means.
Personally I learned to 'love myself' (no pun intended) aged about 13 - i had a tough time and was being bullied pretty badly. Ultimately my response was to change my situation radically to one where I could be myself. I chose to believe I had value and deserved to be somewhere i could be myself rather than agree with the bullies that i had no value. You can learn the lesson many ways but I think this is part of it .
Lastly, some eastern philosophy worked well for me. This is quite a nice intro, told via Winnie the Pooh (don;t laugh, it works).
Lastly show your wife you are making an effort. Tell her you asked random internet people! get her to help you think of ways to tackle it. Go to a meditation class together. Believe you deserve her help as well as her company!
Good luck!
I don't know how successful it is in the long run, meeting a life partner, but I've always taken a Taoist approach to relationships. When I say Taoist, I mean the sort of Taoism I gleamed from The Two of Pooh. It's a cute little book I read every couple years to remind me that there are so many things I can't control about the world, so many things that would make me unhappy if I spent my time thinking about them. To worry might even be counter-productive.
When it comes to my work-life, I'm terrible at taking this advice, but, with relationships, I figure that it's something I do to enjoy myself, something I do to feel close to people. Rather than worry about what will happen or whether or not she'll text me, I just tell her how I feel and leave it at that. If something happens between us, it does, great. If not, I'm not going to make things bettery by worrying or getting upset.
With this girl, you could've been overly-worried about the time limit, you could've been intimidated because she was "too hot for you" ... or something could've been going on in her head that got in the way. Maybe she doesn't really know what she wants our of a relationship or maybe she thought you were the one sending mixed signals. In any case, I think this is an experience you can learn from such that you'll be able to approach the next opportunity with more confidence. I might even contact this girl to apologize for anything I didn't feel right about and ask why things didn't work out. I've learned a lot about myself through the eyes of women with whom "it just didn't work out" and I think I've become a better person for it.
My guess would be this:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477
Here's a few skills which may help you(cause I've been there too...and it's a crappy place to be.) You know you best, there have been days where I've called it a win if I've gotten out of bed, eaten a decent meal and into clean clothing.
Exercise (cardio) helped me a lot with anxiety and feeling out of control. I started feeling better when I incorporated running/brisk walking before my therapy sessions
You say you're resistant to completing a task... think about why are you resistant? What's holding you back? For this I would suggest two skills.. specifically
Willing vs. Willful #1
Willing vs. Willful #2
and Opposite Action. (Or the Nike equivalent of 'Just Do it')
Opposite Action #2
If you like movies there are two movies that cover this in a humourous way, (at least I found them funny and relevant during a pretty dark time in my life. I am in no way suggesting these movies will fix anything... but comedy can be helpful in the face of misery and tragedy.) Yes Man with Jim Carey - Willing vs. Willful and What about Bob with Bill Murray - Opposite action / babysteps.
As for other skills, distress tolerance stuff when you feel like you're pushed over the edge and can't deal with it anymore. Emotion Regulation skills (eating right/exercising/sleeping/self care) helps things from getting worse/declining and Mindfulness skills help slow things down (so you don't go from zero to 100).
Other things that can factor into your wellness, (and are not limited to)
Hang in there!
The book he quotes looks really interesting - Plenty of really good reviews on amazon too. Thanks for sharing!
The only thing I've read since resigning is "The Magic of Reality" by Richard Dawkins. It is GORGEOUS in both visuals and teachings. I was constantly brought to tears at the majesty of the REAL WORLD we live in, as shown by scientific evidence. Also, I didn't realize just how STARVED I was for REAL scientific information!
https://amzn.com/1451675046
I also love "The Tao of Pooh", a gentle teaching of Taoism through the characters from Winnie the Pooh. It's mind opening without being religious, in my opinion.
https://amzn.com/0140067477
The Tao of Pooh is adorable and very uplifting.
Not exactly "how to be a man", but general non-fiction I've really enjoyed:
Benjamin Hoff - The Tao of Pooh -- Sounds childish perhaps, but its a fantastic read. Worth the time.
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477
Biography of E=MC2 -- Einstein's famous equasion, told biography style. Great read, not too "sciency".
http://www.amazon.com/mc2-Biography-Worlds-Famous-Equation/dp/0425181642
Tim O'Brian - If I Die in a combat zone -- http://www.amazon.com/If-Die-Combat-Zone-Ship/dp/0767904435
Also, military field guides / training manuals are non classified and excellent resources for any sort of camping / survival you may do. Most surplus type stores carry them, or you can download and print your own!
Winnie the Pooh is actually a great correlation to being a Taoist philosophy. "There are thirty spokes in a wheel, but it's the emptiness in the middle that makes the wheel useful." "A vessel is only important because of the emptiness inside it." Taoism is all about following the "flow" and being zen with life by making it as simple and non-complex as possible.
There even is a book The Tao of Pooh that explains the correlation.
TL;DR Pooh is zen as fuck
If you're actually interested in understanding this concept, I would recommend The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. Its a really fun, calming book about acceptance of life.
An existentialist crisis is oftentimes followed up by a feeling of depression or emptiness. "If nothing is true, why bother trying?"
Here are two possible remedies for alleviating this feeling of meaninglessness. One is Buddhism and the other is Taoism. Buddhism is the embracement of emptiness in order to be completely aware and focused on reality. Taoism is the belief of accepting a chaotic uncontrollable universe in order to live freely and contemptly.
The Tao of Pooh is a great beginner's book for taoism. After that, I'd recommend reading different translations of "The Tao".
I'm not too certain about where to start on the practices of buddhism, but Alan Watt's lectures of eastern philosophy has had an astounding impact on my own life. I'd recommend you listen to some of his lectures to better understand meaninglessness and purposefulness that both work alongside each other.
I don't know how 'view changing' this would be. But I battle depression. I really enjoyed reading The Tao of Pooh I still refer back to certain parts of the story that I really liked.
Funny, Ronnie has this book https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477
Came to the comments to suggest this book. Here's a link to the Amazon page if you're feeling lazy.
Looks like you could use some direction in a comforting form. Some books to consider:
The Tao of Pooh
A great little book to get you to look at things differently at times. I wont go deep, but I think the reviews on amazon give you a good idea of what to expect. It's quite short as well, so it wont be some huge commitment.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
This is not a manual for repairing motorcycles. No, it's a work of fiction that helps you find a more "zen" approach to live. Have you seen "The Big Lebowski"? Yeah, it defends the values in finding peace in the world around you, even if things don't always go smoothly.
Invisible Monsters
Finally a book for embracing and confronting that anger and hurt you have built up. Palahniuk is just the author for the job. Don't read the synopsis and DON'T get the silly remixed version of the book. I've known people who have found this book life changing. It seems to really speak to women.
The Tao of Pooh
"I love reading books!", but sadly haven't been into reading lately so, idk any book would do.
Hmm, I find Taoism to have slightly better books. Zen Buddhism and Taoism share a lot of things, but they're not the same.
Any book on Zen Koans will be awesome, especially if you understand that the point of a koan isn't to have an answer, but to provoke thought.
As for Taosim, Tao Te Ching is the obvious choice, but also check out "The Tao is Silent" and (no joke) "The Tao of Pooh"
Edit: Moving geographically West, I'd also highly recommend The Enchiridion and The Discourses by Epictetus, and The Meditiations by Marcus Aurelius. The Stoics have a lot in common with traditional Asian religions such as Taosim, Confucionism, and Buddhism when it comes to the ways they think.
Books:
Rules for Aging: A Wry and Witty Guide to Life by Roger Rosenblatt
The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
^^`
Articles:
Desiderata by Max Ehrmann
15 things Kurt Vonnegut said better than anyone else ever has or will (be sure to read the whole thing)
Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young by Mary Schmich (don't take the title wrong)
He is a Taoist, just like Winnie the Poo:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0140067477
This is only nine cents off and this one is just two cents off. Fun contest!
Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely
The Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff
Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman! and What Do You Care What Other People Think? - both wonderful collections of Richard Feynman talking about his life, the way he thinks about things, and lessons he learned.
Those are really the first four that come to mind that have had a noticeable effect on the way I think. Might do the same for you, as well.
The Tao of Pooh
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477
You have such an interesting life.
Seeing as you aspire to be more like Pooh Bear, have you read The Tao of Pooh ?
the tao of pooh
I loved it. Thanks for sharing and, if you haven't I recommend giving this book a try.
Let's lighten up this guys life, shall we?
How about?
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477
Or maybe he's grumpy:
http://books2anywhereus.store.buy.com/p/the-complete-idiot-s-guide-to-managing-your-moods/202630396.html
A 1 hour anger management session?
http://www.onlinecounseling.org/
Wait til u guys hear about this book
After giving this a lot of thought over the years I've come to the conclusion that the key to what we call "confidence" is really satisfaction. Now, what I mean by satisfaction is a complete acceptance and embrace of all the things that are outside of your control, this is a very hard thing to do because it means that you MUST abandon ALL hope that you can ever change these.
Epictetus said it best:
>Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.
You can ONLY find "confidence" through complete acceptance of these things! you MUST abandon ALL hope, hope that you will grow taller, hope that other people will like you, hope that you will have good fortune. Relinquish this hope from your mind, recognize that you are powerless and thus there is no point in "hoping" or grieving about these thing. Put your mind and efforts into the things you can fully control and be the best you can be, embrace the discipline to be true to yourself! you owe it to yourself, consider this your purpose in life, to be in absolute control of all the things you can control.
Once you realize this you will find satisfaction because you are no longer bound by the things you have no control over!.
I absolutely hate the common fake it till you make it advice! I say do not fake anything, be true to yourself, because only you can and you owe it to yourself, it is your purpose.
Do not waste effort and time being envious of the fortune of others, they may have been blessed by the gods, the universe, whatever, It doesn't matter you have no control over it!. Do not waste effort and time being angry at your misfortune, recognize that the world is not "fair" or "unfair", that the world has no concept of "owing" someone anything, but that the world is absurd and that you must not give up the struggle! you MUST face it because its the only way to live life to the fullest.
Camus says that we must accept that life is devoid of meaning and purpose, but I challenge that assertion. Our purpose is to recognize that which we can control and be masters of everything in our domain, by striving for greatness in these things we will find satisfaction, and no one or anything will ever be able to take that away from you.
Keep in mind that all of this is definitely more easily said that done. This is an incredibly hard thing to do, it will take a lot from you, believe me I am still going through it. There will be relapses and moments of weakness but you must embrace this and keep going.
As a side note I recommend everyone here to read up on stoicism and taoism.
Start here:
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/0195374614 (I cannot recommend this book enough!)
and here:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477
Then move on to the classics: Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Lao Zhu.
And finally, whenever you feel like giving up read this: http://www.amazon.com/The-Myth-Sisyphus-Other-Essays/dp/0679733736
The Tao of Pooh it is awesome.
[Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477)
[wiki summary] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tao_of_Pooh)
[reviews] (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48757.The_Tao_of_Pooh)
Also you might like The Tao of Pooh
[The Tao of Pooh] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477) is a pretty cute, quick read. I don't get into religion or philosophy too heavily (I'm the kind who spirals if I start thinking too much...) but I have pondered on the core concept of tao for many years now and it's a pretty sturdy idea.
*edit for formatting
I'm sorry you're going through this. I hope that if you're married, you're sharing your journey with your spouse; it will help you both stay together as you make whatever decision is appropriate for you.
I would say that the first thing to do is be patient with yourself. Rebuilding a worldview takes time, exploration, curiosity, and patience. Keep what is good about the church, leave what isn't, and remember that it's ok do do so. The answers to life's big questions are not necessarily unambiguous. That's ok.
If I could recommend one book, it would be The Tao of Pooh. This is a book that explains the basics of Taoism for Western audiences. Taoism at its heart is a philosophy that tries come to grips with ambiguity. You're in a time right now that you're learning that things you thought were definite are now much more ambiguous. I'm not saying you need to be a Taoist, but reading a book like this will help you see how other people have come to deal with the ambiguity. That can take a lot of the angst out of the process as you rebuild your worldview and find what gives you meaning. That book was very helpful to me as I was plowing into my faith crisis at BYU. I had to read the book for an Asian humanities class and only chose it because it was the shortest on the list, but it quickly became one of the most useful things I ever read at BYU. It helped me gain some perspective and have less angsty time figuring things out.
tldr: You have tremendous opportunities. There are tools to help you move forward more easily.
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Just to be sure I'm understanding, how accurately does the following describe your situation?
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It sounds like your circumstances are difficult. At the same time, your current situation is a sign of your incredible wisdom and persistence; you've achieved a lot in a short period of time. You have tremendous potential to move beyond your current circumstances, onto a path where you can meet your needs, experience the things you desire, and pursue your dreams. Most notably, the following:
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Do you have a life coach or mental health therapist? It sounds like you might experience learned helplessness.
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Have you explored meditation and mindfulness? It might be helpful to either read, listen to, or watch content related to meditation (to quiet the internal negative voices) and mindfulness (to embrace natural suffering of life while inspiring experimentation to use your experiences, talents, and other resources to improve the world around you as much as possible, not only for yourself, but also for others around you). Regardless of your religious and spiritual beliefs, meditation and mindfulness might offer many useful perspectives and habits that are compatible with most (if not all) religious and spiritual communities. Perhaps just start with listening to Acknowledging Suffering by Gil Fronsdal, which is part of The Twelve Steps to Freedom series while your mindlessly browsing the 'nets. Or, Suffering and the End of Suffering Series - Talk 1, Talk 2, Talk 3, and Talk 4. Note the concepts that resonate most with you, then explore those using a variety of mindfulness and meditation resources, perhaps including the following:
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Have you read Tao of Pooh written by Benjamin Hoff? Imagine you are a block of wood. Would it be better – more compassionate, more wise, and more persistent — to shape yourself to fit into the world as it is, or find a place where you naturally fit in as you are, or a little bit of both?
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Have you read the book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom written by Don Miguel Ruiz? It suggests that simply doing 4 things will help to slowly improve your life and the world around you, perhaps not day-to-day or week-to-week or even month-to-month, but fairly noticeably from year-to-year, and certainly over an entire lifetime.
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Have you taken the Myers-Briggs personality test? It may be helpful to better understand your personality type and natural tendencies. Granted, personality tests are not 100% accurate. But, even if they are only 80% accurate, having some awareness about your personality and tendencies may be helpful for discovering the best path available for your life's journey. Sufficiently valid and reliable (and most importantly, free) versions of the test can be found via 16Personalities, Truity, and Humanmetrics. Once you identify your personality type, you can learn more about that type on those and other websites. Note that characteristics that resonate most with you. Ignore the ones that don't.
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Have you identified strategies to make the most of your limited time, energy, talents, finances, and other resources with your unique circumstances given the world around you? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What opportunities and threats/challenges exist in the world around you? How might you apply your strengths to the world's opportunities as your unique empowerment strategies? How might you apply your strengths to the world's threats/challenges as your unique improvement strategies? How might you apply your weaknesses to the world's opportunities as your unique assistance strategies? How might you apply your weaknesses to the world's threats/challenges as your unique avoidance strategies? For example, in a table like this with 3 to 5 bullet points in each of the 8 main sections (i.e. not the upper left-hand corner box):
External / Internal | Strengths to Maximize | Weaknesses to Minimize
:---------------------|:------------------------:|---------------------------:
Opportunities to Maximize | Empowerment Strategies | Improvement Strategies
Threats / Challenges to Minimize | Assistance Strategies | Avoidance Strategies
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What are your core values? What do you believe is the purpose of life, in general, or better yet: the purpose of your life, specifically (especially if you've identified strategies to make the most of your limited time, energy, talents, finances, and other resources with your unique circumstances given the world around you)?
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Have you explored how you might build a decently-paying job or career in light of your limited time, energy, talents, finances, and other resources with your unique circumstances given the world around you? Have you read Business Model You: A One-Page Method For Reinventing Your Career written by Tim Clark, Alexander Osterwalder, and Yves Pigneur? Or, explored ["how might I get started as a travel blogger or photographer?"](https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+get+started+as+a+travel+(blogger+OR+photographer)
You might enjoy reading the book "The Tao of Pooh".
Uptoke for Tao of Pooh. Came here to mention this:
http://www.amazon.ca/Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477
I like it because it's funny, understandable and straightforward while not straying from the essence of the teachings.
In the order that I read them:
Where the Sidewalk Ends
The Tao of Pooh
The God Delusion
The Tao of Pooh.
The Tao of Pooh
The Tao of Physics
The Book
I'd also recommend The Tao of Pooh. Good stuff.
https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477