Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance [Paperback]

C. Alexander Simpkins (Author), Annellen Simpkins (Author)

Book Description

Series: Simple Series | Publication Date: May 15, 1999

Simple Taoism is designed to help the reader understand what Taoism is about and to help apply its best aspects to everyday living. Divided into three parts, the book outlines the background and development of the philosophy, illustrated with stories to bring history to life. It explains key concepts and shows ways to incorporate the insights fo Taoism into one's life through such activities as meditation, breathing exercises, and exploring the natural world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A wonderfully simple yet comprehensive introduction to the wide-ranging arts of Taoism." -- Empty Vessel

"An excellent way to improve both your understanding and your spirituality." -- Martial Arts & Combat Sports

"Contains simple instructions for exercises that lead to a fuller life." -- Empty Vessel

About the Author

Drs. C. Alexander and Annellen Simpkins live in San Diego and are both psychologists who have specialized in studies of the mind. They have devoted many years to the study of hypnosis and have taught meditation skills to people of all ages. They have also spent the past 25 years involved in the martial arts as practitioners, instructors, and writers. Their work in meditation spans their two worlds of professional interest: martial arts and psychology, adding a unique and comprehensive perspective to this book. In addition to contributing regularly to martial arts publications, they are the authors of Principles of Meditation, Living Meditation, Zen Around the World, and Meditation from Thought to Action, all published by Tuttle.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing; 3rd Printing edition (May 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804831734
• ISBN-13: 978-0804831734
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #399,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Alexander Technique

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Introduction to Taoism, November 17, 2004

By 

foundpoem - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance (Paperback)

The book is organized into three parts: 1. History of Taoism, 2. Definition of Taoist Concepts, and 3. Taoism in Practice.

The second section is easily the best, most objective and least analytic. The authors define Tao, Te, wu-wei, ying and yang, p'u and chi. Taoism *is* "simple"; it isn't easy to practice, but far too many authors tend to analyze and over-analyze while defining, which is the precise antithesis of Tao. The second section of this book takes a solid Taoist approach by simply defining the terms; you use them your Way.

The third section, Taoist Practice, represents the authors' mindset. It is how they practice Taoism -- they write about some Taoist arts but not others and don't mention that this was their writing approach. Likewise for The first section, Taoist History. It reads as well-researched but speaks only of certain elements.

The problematic part is that book is written as though all concepts presented are in equal measure the essence of--and necessary to--Taoism, with no mention of elements left out. I bought this for a friend who was interested in the basics of Taoism, and I picked it up to see what I'd be giving him. I ended up reading it; it's very short and fast and I liked it a lot. I thought highly of it. Then when I gave it to him I found that I wanted to explain which elements could be appropriate or not for him, or what he doesn't need to take as "fact" of Taoism as it's presented here.

I've considered Taoism indespensible in my life for over a decade and while this book is quite a good introduction, it has a somewhat one-sided view that's presented as universal, which makes this a good primer course but requires supplemental information. It's unfortunate because the material is good -- if only they would have written that the third chapter, for example, is about the ways *they* practice: e.g., martial art is one of the Toaist arts, much detail is given to it while other Taoist arts go unmentioned. As a first book about Taoism it might be difficult to differentiate between their thoughts and others'.

Overall: Good book. The 2nd section section is worth the price of admission, easily, for its simple definitions of typically over-described concepts. But parts one and three should be taken as the less objective of the three sections.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Less a practical guide than a history of Taosim., July 5, 2001

By 

S. R. Schwankert (Beijing, China) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance (Paperback)

If you already know the history of Taoism and are looking for a more practical, modern guide, this probably isn't the right book. This book takes a much more traditional view of Taoism, teaching the reader about t'ai ch'i and other activities. Presenting Taoism more as a faith than a philosophy, it's just not what I was looking for in a more practical guide to living with balance in one's life.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful introduction to Taoism!, May 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance (Paperback)

I have been involved in Taoism for many years and found this book to be very true to the spirit of Tao. It clearly and beautifully explains the important concepts and people in straightforward language so that modern readers can not only understand it, but apply it! I heartily recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing more about Taoism.