Bruce Lee: Artist of Life

Bruce Lee remains a legendary figure who towers over the martial arts community over 25 years after his death. This text reveals the soul of the man behind the myth, a man equal parts poet, philosopher, father and friend, dedicated to self-knowledge through artistic expression.

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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 ideas 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 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'

This Bruce Lee Book is part of the Bruce Lee Library which also features:

Bruce Lee: Striking Thoughts
Bruce Lee: The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon
Bruce Lee: The Tao of Gung Fu
Bruce Lee: Letters of the Dragon
Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body
Bruce Lee: Jeet Kune Do