Negative Positive
Title: Bitter and Vacuous
Review: Apparently, Taoism is about lazy, bitter Westerners superficially embracing Eastern mysticism in order to boost their own egos - and then cashing in on a beloved childhood icon to make a quick buck.Hoff does a reasonable job of using actual quotations from Pooh to illustrate various simple points, but his depiction of Taoism ends up being a collection of empty mantras that have no relationship to real life, where people frequently have both aspirations and problems. Do you want to work towards a career where you can make a difference for people? Hoff's answer is "don't strive - just be". Upset about global inequality and mass starvation? "Cottlestone Pie".Hoff blatantly misreads Pooh to tell us that knowledge and science bring nothing but trouble - as he puts it, discovering things only leads to more questions, so what's the point? He even rants against jogging and tennis. Better to remain ignorant and immobile - although complaining bitterly seems to be an acceptable activity.
Is the review positive or negative? 