Author: MILLER, DAVIS
Title: The Tao of Bruce Lee
Description: Vintage Books. 2001. (ISBN: 9780099779513). Paperback, 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches. First, it should be understood that this book is less about Bruce Lee than about the author and Lee's influence on his life. During his adolescent years, the diminutive, troubled Miller was probably the only guy on the planet who could have had the hurt put on him by the 98-pound weakling of Charles Atlas ads. Then came Muhammad Ali and Bruce LeeDa large man who moved with preternatural grace and a small man whose punching power almost matched his blinding speed. Both seemed almost to "do it with mirrors" and, reasoned the young Miller, perhaps so could he, as he devoted his life to kickboxing and in the process discovered that he did, indeed, have a life. In his first book, The Tao of Muhammad Ali, Miller already honored one hero. In this one, after telling his story, Miller spends not quite half the book on Lee's saga, gently debunking many myths. If Lee fanatics stay around this long, it's worth the wait, though they might take exception to some of what Miller has to say. The title is deceptive. This fantastic second book by Miller runs deeper than an account of the author growing up as a "karate kid" in the early 1970s. It is equally a study of the nature and role of the hero in popular culture, a poignant and unusual coming-of-age story, and an informative biography of Bruce Lee. As with Muhammad Ali, the author's other childhood hero (The Tao of Muhammad Ali [1996], Lee was part of the select group of athletes who transcended sports to become international pop culture icons. Miller begins the story with his own dismal childhood in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His mother died early in his life; he was a miserable child and adolescent--scrawny, with few friends and no apparent academic or vocational gifts or inclinations. Watching Lee in Enter the Dragon in 1973 changed his life. Miller began a lifelong interest in martial arts and Eastern philosophy. In the late 1980s, he traded his punching bags for a computer and became a writer and journalist, and it is his skill as a storyteller that really makes Tao shine. He beautifully illuminates the pitfalls and triumphs of Lee's early life, captivating the reader. In the end, he dispels many of the myths behind Bruce Lee the man that captivated him as a youth, myths about Lee's ability as a karate god and mystic seer. In the end, Miller comes to terms with the smaller man behind his larger-than-life hero. Paperback - 2002 - good condition - - used books, secondhand books, out of print books, hard to find books, for sale, second-hand books, college books, student books, nonfiction, non-fiction books delivered world wide. Martial Arts. Karate. Used: Acceptable.

Keywords: 9780099779513


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