Bruce Lee: Artist of Life (Bruce Lee Library) - Hardcover

Lee, Bruce; Little, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0804831319 ISBN 13: 9780804831314

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing, 1999

Synopsis

A rare, never-before-seen collection of Bruce Lee's private letters and writing!

Bruce Lee was an intense man with such sheer concentration of energy that no one who encountered him, on screen or in person, could help but be drawn to him and his enthusiasm for life and knowledge. A voracious and engaged reader, Lee wrote extensively, synthesizing the thought of East and West into a unique personal philosophy of self-discovery. Bruce Lee: Artist of Life explores the development and fruition of Bruce Lee's thoughts about gung fu (kung fu), philosophy, psychology, poetry, jeet kune do, acting, and self-knowledge.

This volume from Bruce Lee's private notebooks is capped by a selection of Lee's letters that eloquently demonstrate how he incorporated his thought into actions and advice to others. Also included are multiple drafts of select compositions, showing how Lee's thought evolved and was refined over the years and how the ideas he was reading and writing about were reflected in his work and everyday life.

Sections include:

• Gung Fu—reflections on gung fu, psychology in defense and attack, how to choose a martial arts instructor, and Bruce's own view on the martial art
• Philosophy—regarding human understanding, Taoism, Plato, Socrates, and Descartes
• Psychology—three types of philosophy, the top dog and the underdog, the four basic philosophical approaches, and learning
• Poetry—'The Dying Sun,' 'Love is a Friendship Caught on Fire,' 'Once More I Hold You in My Arms,' and 'Parting'
• Jeet Kune Do–The Liberation—toward personal liberation, notes on JKD, true mastery, and an objective evaluation of the combative skill of Bruce Lee, by those who know what it is
• Acting—what exactly is an actor, the art of acting
• Self-knowledge—in search of someone real, self-actualization, and the passionate state of mind
• Letters—'The True Meaning of Life–Peace of Mind,' 'Use Your Own Experience and Imagination,' and 'It's All in the State of Mind'

About this title

About the Author

John Little has established himself as the ultimate authority on the life and thought of Bruce Lee, who, twenty-five years after his death, remains the most popular martial artist of all time. Little enjoys the complete and ardent cooperation of Linda Lee Cadwell, Bruce Lee's widow, and has access to the complete collection of Lee memorabilia and papers. John Little currently lives in Meridian, Idaho

From Booklist

Decades after his death, fascination with martial arts superstar Lee continues. Editor Little and Lee's widow, Linda Lee Caldwell, contend Lee was much more than the acrobatic guy on the silver screen. He was a "philosopher . . . able to apply specific principles of his art to the broader endeavor of living life as a `real' human being." Toward that goal, Lee wrote the essays on acting, martial arts, and self-knowledge collected here. In fact, most of them touch on the quest for self-knowledge and, in conjunction with specimens of Lee's letters and poetry, enhance appreciation of the man. Specific topics range from the cerebral (e.g., "Psychology in Defense and Attack") to the practical (e.g., "How to Choose a Martial Art Instructor"), and pithy nuggets (e.g., "Truth cannot be structured or confused") are highlighted. Movie stars aren't always the deepest people around, once the conversation turns from showbiz, but Lee's writings are inspired and inspirational, of interest to his fans and to the multitudes seeking the meaning of life. Mike Tribby

Edition details

• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0804831319
• ISBN 13: 9780804831314
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 288