Customer Reviews
taoism for all - By: , 28 Oct 2004 
I took several books on Taoism on a recent trip to China, & found this one was by far the most interesting. It is accessible, scholarly, & above alll simple to understand. The authors capture the imagination & offer a comprehensive explanation about Taoism including the Tao Te Ching, Tai Chi & Chi Gong.
If you only want one book about Taoism, or are starting on the journey, this is the one to buy.
Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat - By: amcas123@aol.com, 02 Apr 2002 Taoism is a complex vast collection of customs, rituals, & beliefs that have never been codified into doctrine. This ancient Chinese path emphasizes attunement to the natural rhythms of life, the wisdom of intuition, & the value of inaction or wu-wei. C. Alexander & Annellen Simpkins, authors of Zen Around the World, discuss the importance of chi (life force or energy), yin & yang, the five elements, & simplicity in Taoism. The movement from Lao-Tzu's writing about the Tao to the Contemporary search for methods of enhancing & prolonging life is a zigzag course rather than one of logical progression. "Wisdom lies in not contending," write the Simpkins, "Sensitive to the inner nature of self & other, Lao-Tzu's Way leads through mystery by returning to the core of life." Those who are interested in living in balance will find plenty of helpful resources in Taoism including meditation, Eastern medicine, the martial arts of tai chi & aikido, fend shui, & techniques for working with dreams.
NAPRA ReView - By: amcas123@aol.com, 02 Apr 2002 A little book of simple pleasures, this one ("Simple Zen") & its companion "Simple Taoism" will appeal to the Western mind that seeks solace from the maelstrom of furious thinking that our society & livelihoods seem to demand. Each of these books is an oasis, guiding the reader through these mysterious Eastern philosophies with an efficient yet reverent respect for their long histories. Immersed in the roots & beginnings of Zen or Taoism, the Simpkins' work is like a walk in a quiet forest on a warm day. While the authors admit that Zen is an experiential path that is difficult to describe, they do fill in enough blanks so that the mind is encouraged to embrace the wordless alll by itself. That is no easy task! The ethics of different systems of belief are compared to encourage the release of preconceived notions of what is to be accomplished. A good example is Zen & Christianity. Christianity has a well-defined set of ideals that the follower is expected to live up to: Zen has none. Simple? Yes. Easy? No. Beautifully presented & steeped in stories, legends, practices, examples, & exercises, these books will be a welcome addition to any collection on these subjects, & a good start to a clearer consciousness.
Jack of all trades - Master of none. - By: , 10 Mar 2002 
Yet another so-callled work on Taoism that fails in shedding more light on the subject & joins the realm of texts which are mere intellectual exercise in bringing together a whole heap of extracts from other authors works, most of which I have already read, & in their original context.
Taoism often fallls victim to becoming a platform from which new-age hippies promote their own, rather than true philosophical Taoist beliefs, & this work is just that.
I feel my money was wasted on this book & would urge anyone potential buyer to borrow a copy first.
Simple Taoism provides a hand book for life - By: , 23 Jun 2001 Simple Taoism provides a handbook for life. Deceptively brief, it explains in plain language the basics of Taoism & builds on these with simple exercises to help you put the theory into practice. It gently persuades you to look at your life again. Stand back & let things take their course - let your true nature emerge. A book that was meant to find its way onto my shelf. Feet on the ground stuff, but providing spiritual insight. An inspiration!
