TOW #16 The Tao of Pooh post #2

Most of the general public would not readily read a book on philosophy, let alone a book about the philosophy of religion other than the bible. So why is the "The Tao of Pooh" so effective? It doesn't take much to realize that this is quite an outlandish topic, so how was this book able to reach so many people? Benjamin Hoff was very receptive to the fact that not many people are familiar or comfortable with the topic of Taoism, so he wrote his book in a style that would be able to reach the masses. Throughout the entirety of this book, Hoff writes as if he is having a conversation with Pooh bear who is constantly asking questions of him. This is meant to create a casual mood and answer the many questions that the readers may be thinking of. In a book like this, there needs to be a niche to slowly acclimate the audience to its philosophy. Hoff decided to write the majority of the book as a conversation to make the audience more open to its ideals. Sometimes philosophies come off as slow and boring with the author trying to shove his or her ideals down the readers throats, whereas Hoff's book has a more casual atmosphere that makes the audience feel more like they are being talked to rather than lectured. When the audience feels more comfortable they are more apt to accept Hoff's thoughts. What happens when the audience has a question or doesn't understand Hoff's point? The book certainly can't reply to their questions. Well Hoff anticipated this and used Pooh as a vehicle to answer the audiences questions. In his conversations with Pooh, Pooh will often interject with a question about a story that is being told or a question about a conclusion that Hoff came to or even a simple "why?" While it may seem like Hoff is just continuing his conversation with a rather curious bear, he is also simultaneously answering any questions that the audience may have about his teachings. This makes his message even stronger because the audience is not confused about his argument and can comprehend even the most complex of arguments. Hoff utilizes his furry companion to it's fullest to help convey his philosophy to his readers.