The Tao of Bruce Lee: A Martial Arts Memoir (Paperback)

by Davis Miller (Author) "ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1973, I was a drowsy-eyed, twenty-one-year-old freshman at Lees-McRae Junior College in Banner Elk, North Carolina..." (more)
Key Phrases: jeet kune, wing chun, martial artist, Bruce Lee, Hong Kong, Enter the Dragon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
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. Recommended for larger public libraries.DJim Burns, Ottumwa P.L., IA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
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. Ted Leventhal
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (June 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 060980538X
• ISBN-13: 978-0609805381
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #476,142 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars worth a read for never published details of Lee's death, June 23, 2003

By	Michael (Newcastle Upon Tyne, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tao of Bruce Lee (Paperback)

Aside from Davis Miller's own personal, very poignant, pithily written story in this book, 'Tao of Bruce Lee' should be read for the revelatory details of Bruce Lee's demise, so many of which have never before been revealed. This is the only book of consequence about Bruce Lee -- and a powerful yet abstruse read that should be honoured and learnt from.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautifully written personal essay and social commentary, August 10, 2000

By	George Douglas (Iowa City, Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tao of Bruce Lee: A Martial Arts Memoir (Hardcover)

First, this is a book that will unfortunately infuriate many of the most extreme Bruce Lee fans, though Davis Miller is very patient and gentle in his regard for Lee. Those of us who are less prone to accept Bruce Lee's martial arts godness are likely to be deeply affected by Miller's own very optimistic story, his commentary about the dangers of religious literalism and his exploration of the nature of myth, as well as Lee's cautionary tale about the myopic downsides of personal ambition. And many people who have had little interest in Lee or his movies will find that they are thoroughly captivated by Miller's storytelling ability and, in the process, they will find that they gain a real-world respect for Bruce Lee. "The Tao of Bruce Lee: a martial arts memoir" is the story of the influence that Lee had on the young Davis Miller and how the more mature Miller outgrew his childhood idol and finally what he calls the "sociopathic prettification of violence." In this way, and others, this book can be compared to the wonderful film, "Breaking Away," the hopeful account of a troubled teenager who is besmitten with the Italian national bicycling team and how, when he finally manages to race them, he is forced to outgrow his simple-minded romance and become his own (much more interesting and capable) person. Miller writes in a style that is accessible and enjoyable to almost every reader, Bruce Lee extremists notwithstanding. This book is an extension of his outstanding first book, "The Tao of Muhammad Ali," and since that book was published in 1996, Miller has grown significantly as a writer. Together, the two books can be seen as the yin and the yang of the same story. "The Tao of Bruce Lee" is a fascinating mix of serious personal essay, new journalism, memoir, and sumptuous old-fashioned storytelling that, in many ways, is unlike anything else that I have read, though Miller himself notes the influences of Joan Didion and Tim O'Brien, among others. And this is every bit as fine a book as Mr. O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and Ms. Didion's "Slouching Towards Bethlehem," both of which are among the best pieces of American writing of the past half-century. "The Tao of Bruce Lee: a martial arts memoir" is a brave and beautiful book that deserves a large, mainstream audience. I hope that it can somehow manage to find its proper home among discerning readers who care about non-genre literature. Miller's new book easily ranks among the best American writing of this new century.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun reading, December 2, 2004

By	Gumby (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tao of Bruce Lee (Paperback)

"I desperately need something to read", I suddenly recalled when I was heading for my favourite coffeshop. So, I popped in and started to look for something, and this book sort of beamed at me. I got it under the impression that it was a biography about Bruce Lee, but it turns out that it is more a book about Davis Miller's relation to Bruce Lee and how Lee has influenced him. It is very easy reading and a quite nice book, and at page 97 and onwards a small biography about Bruce Lee (or Li Jun Fan, which was his real name) appears. Apparently it is hard to find any books with true facts, Davis Miller claims that this one shall be rather close to truth, and you will learn that Bruce Lee wasn't the lonely martial arts master that one thinks. If you like martial arts in general, and more specifically Bruce Lee, get this book, you will finish it within a couple of days and it is fun reading.