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Welcome back to our series on the libraries of great men<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n When you picture Bruce Lee, what do you see? Probably an explosive series of kicks, punches, and kung-fu moves that could take out an entire gang of bad guys. <\/span><\/p>\n What you likely don\u2019t picture is a man quietly reading a philosophy book while a household is in chaos around him \u2014 kids yelling and playing, doors slamming, adults conversing. And yet that version of Bruce Lee is just as true as the dynamic, high-energy version. Lee was in fact a bibliophile, ultimately collecting a library of over 2,500 titles. This included books in obvious categories like martial arts, boxing, and fencing, but also not-so-obvious genres like philosophy (both Eastern and Western), psychology, and classic American self-help. <\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at the reading life of Bruce Lee, followed by some titles he\u2019s known to have read, enjoyed, and learned from. <\/span><\/p>\n From nearly the moment of his birth in 1940, Bruce was a fury of energy. As a youngster, he earned a nickname which translates to \u201cnever sits still.\u201d And yet there was one thing that could calm him down and hold his attention for hours on end: comic books (especially of the kung-fu variety). From there, he graduated into reading Chinese <\/span>wuxia <\/span><\/i>\u2014 what biographer Matthew Polly<\/a> calls \u201csword-and-sorcery martial arts novels.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n His spare time was consumed with reading and frequenting bookstores \u2014 before kung fu took hold of his life, he even dreamed of owning a used bookstore himself. Even though he had a great relationship with books, he was a pretty terrible student at school. Polly notes he was \u201ca particularly poor student, one of the worst in his class,\u201d even getting expelled once. Like many notable men throughout history, an aptitude for reading did not mean an excellence or even an interest in compulsory schooling. <\/span><\/p>\n It was during college \u2014 as is the case for many of us \u2014 that Lee\u2019s mind was opened up to new ideas and subjects. Even though he didn\u2019t graduate, Lee took classes in philosophy and psychology that particularly piqued his interests (neither of those were his major \u2014 which was drama \u2014 but he interestingly later claimed that he studied philosophy in school). He would not only read, but copiously take notes, add neat underlining (sometimes even using a ruler) and marginalia, and transcribe his favorite passages into notebooks. He was not a mere consumer of texts, but actively engaged and wrestled with new ideas, letting the Great Conversation shape his own philosophy and thinking<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n After college, reading became part of his regular daily routine. He never held a true 9-5 job, so his days were pretty free to be whatever he made them. In the mornings, he\u2019d work out, running and doing a certain number of kicks, jabs, punches, etc. The afternoons were reserved for either reading or making social calls. And in the evening, he\u2019d spend time with his family, lift weights a few times a week, or continue his reading. He cultivated both mind and body<\/a>, <\/span>every single day<\/span><\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n While he read broadly his whole life, there were periods of time where he dove deeply into a single topic, looking to achieve mastery, gain inspiration, and come up with new ideas. When developing his signature kung fu style \u2014 called jeet kune do \u2014 he devoured not only martial arts titles, but also hoards of fencing and boxing theory, combining ideas from multiple disciplines. Like all innovations, his kung fu was not born spontaneously from his head, but through an amalgamation of ideas from the course of physical exercise and self-defense history. <\/span><\/p>\n Another time he did a deep dive was after he had been rebuffed by Steve McQueen on a kung fu movie project. Lee had an idea for a plot, but McQueen couldn\u2019t commit to starring because he didn\u2019t want anyone riding on his coattails (a classic move from the famously vain and self-centered actor). Lee was furious, and became determined to make his own destiny rather than rely on others to help him out. To that end, he delved into the classics of self-help, putting into practice Napoleon Hill\u2019s advice to write down a specific goal and recite it out loud day and night. From then on, he would seek to make his own projects come to fruition and be in full control of their development. <\/span><\/p>\n Yet another instance of this is when he was laid up in bed due to a back injury sustained during one of his morning workouts. Given Lee\u2019s famous energy, he was of course miserable being stuck in bed. He needed something to at least keep his inner self active, so he read <\/span>the entire works<\/span><\/i> of Indian mystic and philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, which at the time was probably 30+ books. <\/span><\/p>\nThe Reading Life of Bruce Lee<\/h3>\n
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![his headstone in Seattle<\/a>, part of which is an open book carved from marble. As his wife Linda said, \u201cBruce carried a book with him wherever he went.\u201d While he\u2019ll always be rightly known mostly for his martial arts innovations and movie\/TV projects, his reading was the foundation that shaped his remarkable life and kept him grounded and true to his deepest values.<\/span><\/p>\nLet\u2019s now take a look at some of the titles and authors that influenced Bruce. <\/span><\/p>\nBruce Lee\u2019s Reading List<\/h3>\nWhile Bruce\u2019s library contained thousands of volumes, they were primarily centered in a handful of genres: philosophy (the vast majority), martial arts (and other fighting disciplines), and self-help. Below is but a sampling of Bruce\u2019s favorite authors and most interesting titles. <\/span><\/p>\nWestern Philosophy: <\/b><\/p>\n\nSumma Theologica<\/span><\/i> by St. Thomas Aquinas<\/span><\/li>\nAn Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding<\/span><\/i> by David Hume<\/span><\/li>\nMeditations on First Philosophy<\/span><\/i> by Rene Descartes<\/span><\/li>\nThe Undiscovered Self<\/span><\/i> by Carl Jung<\/span><\/li>\nOn Becoming a Person<\/span><\/i> by Carl Rogers<\/span><\/li>\nThe Works of Bertrand Russell<\/span><\/li>\nThe Works of Plato <\/span><\/li>\nArt of Worldly Wisdom<\/span><\/i> by Baltasar Gracian <\/span><\/li>\nHero With a Thousand Faces<\/span><\/i> by Joseph Campbell (and other Campbell titles)<\/span><\/li>\nEthics<\/span><\/i> by Benedict de Spinoza<\/span><\/li>\nMaxims and Reflections<\/span><\/i> by Johann Wolfgang van Goethe<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nEastern Philosophy:<\/b><\/p>\n\nThe Works of Jiddu Krishnamurti (whom Polly notes was \u201cone of his more important influences\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\nTao-Te-Ching <\/span><\/i>by Lao-Tzu<\/span><\/li>\nThe Way of Chuang-Tzu<\/span><\/i><\/li>\nThe Book of Five Rings<\/span><\/i> by Miyamoto Musashi <\/span><\/li>\nThe Works of Alan Watts<\/span><\/li>\nThe Analects of Confucius<\/span><\/i><\/li>\nArt of War<\/span><\/i> by Sun-Tzu <\/span><\/li>\nBushido: The Soul of the Samurai<\/span><\/i><\/li>\nSiddhartha <\/span>by Herman Hesse (and many other Hesse titles) <\/span><\/li>\nBuddhism<\/span><\/i> by Christmas Humphreys (and dozens of other Buddhism-related titles)<\/span><\/li>\nThe Chinese Classics<\/span><\/i> compiled by James Legge (all 5 volumes)<\/span><\/li>\nLiving Zen<\/span><\/i> by Robert Linssen (and many other Zen-related titles)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nMartial Arts\/Fencing\/Boxing:<\/b><\/p>\n\nOn Fencing<\/span><\/i> by Aldo Nadi (plus at least 60(!) other books on fencing and fencing theory)<\/span><\/li>\nAikido: The Art of Self-Defense <\/span><\/i>by Ko\u0084ichi Tohei<\/span><\/li>\nAdvanced Karate <\/span><\/em>by Mas Oyama (and many other Oyama titles)<\/span><\/li>\nA Beginner\u2019s Book of Gymnastics <\/span><\/em>by Barry Johnson<\/span><\/li>\nChampionship Fighting <\/span><\/em>by Jack Dempsey <\/span><\/li>\nBook of Boxing and Bodybuilding<\/span><\/i> by Rocky Marciano<\/span><\/li>\nHow to Box<\/span><\/i> by Joe Louis<\/span><\/li>\nUS Army Boxing Manual<\/span><\/i><\/li>\nEfficiency of Human Movement <\/span><\/i>by <\/span>Marion Ruth Broer<\/span><\/li>\nPhysiology of Exercise<\/span><\/em> by <\/span>Laurence Morehouse<\/span><\/li>\nWing Chun <\/span><\/em>by James Lee<\/span><\/li>\nAcupuncture: The Ancient Chinese Art of Healing <\/span><\/em>by Felix Mann<\/span><\/li>\nEsquire’s The Art of Keeping Fit <\/span><\/em><\/li>\nCombat Training of the Individual Soldier <\/span><\/em>by the US Army <\/span><\/li>\nModern Bodybuilding <\/span><\/em>by Oscar Heidenstam<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAmerican Self-Help:<\/b><\/p>\n\nThe Amazing Results of Positive Thinking <\/span><\/i>by Norman Vincent Peale (and many other Peale titles)<\/span><\/li>\nThink and Grow Rich<\/span><\/i> by Napoleon Hill<\/span><\/li>\nDynamic Thinking<\/span><\/i> by Melvin Powers<\/span><\/li>\nThe Magic of Thinking Big <\/span><\/i>by David Schwartz<\/span><\/li>\nAs a Man Thinketh<\/span><\/i> by James Allen<\/span><\/li>\nThe Success System That Never Fails<\/span><\/i> by Clement Stone<\/span><\/li>\nHow to Win Friends and Influence People<\/span><\/i> by Dale Carnegie<\/span><\/li>\nHow I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling <\/span><\/i>by Frank Bettger<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nMiscellaneous:<\/b><\/p>\n\nElements of Style<\/span><\/i> by Strunk and White<\/span><\/li>\nPlayboy\u2019s Party Jokes <\/span>& <\/span>More Playboy\u2019s Party Jokes <\/span><\/i><\/li>\nThe Red Badge of Courage <\/span><\/em>by Stephen Crane (one of the few novels) <\/span><\/li>\nThe Screwtape Letters<\/span><\/i> by CS Lewis <\/span><\/li>\nThe Story of Civilization<\/span><\/i> by Will Durant (all 11 volumes!) <\/span><\/li>\n](\"http:\/\/seattlebloggers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/bruce-lee-grave-site-2.jpg\"){kind=link}