Abstract

Benjamin Hoff's "Tao of Pooh" was originally recommended to me as a compelling read by one of my degree course lectures. I had been very interested in an extract we had used in class and made a mental note to read the book at an opportune moment. This point came when all the 'important' course reading was complete and my course work had been handed in. I had little memory of reading "Winnie the Pooh" as a child and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading the original extracts. I found the wisdom in Pooh's uses the wisdom of A. A. Milne's original tales to present a philosophy for life based on simplicity and consideration for others. It offers a perspective on life, education and knowledge, supported by philosophical theory. The book's philosophy reinforces the idea that science and knowledge are useless unless applied in a simple way and in context with what is actually happening in life. This has informed my formal education, work and personal life since. The use of simple stories to illustrate principles can help to develop understanding.