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Title: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Taoism by Brandon Toropov, Chad Hansen ISBN: 0-02-864262-7 Publisher: Alpha Books Pub. Date: 05 March, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Very enjoyable and broad introduction to Taoism
Comment: This book was my introduction to Taoism, and I am deeply grateful to the authors for writing such a splendid guide to the Way. /The Complete Idiot's Guide to Taoism/ starts out by working through the difficulties of defining "Tao" and introducing the reader to the works of Lao-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu, the two sages of Taoism. The book moves on to offer an overview of key Taoist concepts like wu-wei, de, the yin-yang polarity, etc. All of this is done in a relaxed, enjoyable manner, making for a quick and fun read.
This /Idiot's Guide/ also has chapters on Taoist thoughts on nature, skill, and life and death. These chapters illuminate the Taoist perspective on many aspects of life, and do so a lot more effectively than a list of dry, fixed "shall" and "shall not" items would be able to. The book also includes some thought-provoking overviews of the links between Taoism and Christianity, modern physics, popular culture (i.e. The Matrix), and so forth.
This book is not page after page of dogmatic rules on how you should or should not think, or should or should not live. Anyone looking for such things will be disappointed with /The Complete Idiot's Guide to Taoism/, and indeed Taoism itself. The authors went to great lengths to provide a cohesive intro to the history of Taoism, as well as the core ideas that make it a viable philosophy (or religion) to this day. I think the main goal when writing this book was to get the reader to actively *think* about life, and how traditional Taoist perspectives match up with the experiences of daily life.
If you're up to the challenge of genuinely thinking about Taoism, and how it can be applied to all aspects of the world, this book will definitely satisfy you. As the authors say in their introduction, "Think of /The Complete Idiot's Guide to Taoism/ as a flashlight; judge its effectiveness by what it helps you see more clearly as you make your own way along the path."
Rating: 5
Summary: puts you on the path...
Comment: A great introduction to Taoism... covers essential ideas and terminology; the history, including mention of debated theories on Taoism's development; a screen backdrop of Chinese history during the Fifteen Epochs; references on-line, on location and in additional books for interested users.
While most of the book does a good job to earnestly emphasize the simplicity of Taoism and strives to distill and present the essentials, backed up with references for further review, there is a slight abandonment of responsibility as applied to what the book calls "the branches of tao" -- specifically, the i ching, tai chi, feng shui, acupuncture and herbal medicine. It is not clear how these developed independently of Taoism, and there is a danger in that the reader may believe them to be instrinsic to the philosophy. However, more detailed references are suggested from which any interested reader would quickly learn the truth.
As the title "Complete Idiot's Guide" suggests, could be too basic for those already well-versed in the subject. Serves as a great reference, and timely. Some of the best sources cited are free, online.
Rating: 5
Summary: Learned about Zhuangzi
Comment: I knew a little about Taoism -- or thought I did -- but was surprised at how much I didn't know about Zhuangzi. An engaging and enlightening review of an important subject. Very informative.
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Title: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism by Gary Gach, Michael Wenger ISBN: 0028641701 Publisher: Alpha Books Pub. Date: 07 August, 2001 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Zen Living by Gary McClain, Eve Adamson ISBN: 0028639588 Publisher: Alpha Books Pub. Date: 26 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: The Complete Idiot's Guide(R) to Hinduism by Linda Johnsen, Jody P. Schaeffer, David Frawley ISBN: 0028642279 Publisher: Alpha Books Pub. Date: 11 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in the Balance by C. Alexander Simpkins, Annellen M. Simpkins, C. Alexander ISBN: 0804831734 Publisher: Charles E Tuttle Co Pub. Date: June, 2000 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Complete Idiot's Guide to Eastern Philosophy by Jay, Phd Stevenson ISBN: 0028638204 Publisher: Alpha Books Pub. Date: 21 January, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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