همه آنهایی که بروس‌لی را می شناسند اولین تصویری که از وی به ذهن شان خطور می کند یک ستاره فیلم های کنگ فو و کاراته است. ورزشکاری خاص با بدن ظریف و ورزیده که کارهای خارق العاده انجام می دهد.
اما شاید بد نباشید بدانید بروس‌لی عاشق کتاب خواندن هم بود. جسم پر شر و شور او فقط وقتی به کتاب می رسید، آرام می گرفت و او را برای ساعت ها یک جا می نشاند.
او از کودکی، عاشق مجلات مصور قهرمانان جنگجو بود. بعدها به مجلات کارتون های چینی علاقه پیدا کرد. در دوران دانشجویی به کتاب های رزمی و فلسفه دفاع از خود در فلسفه شرق علاقه مند شد.
او بر اساس قابلیت رزمی و ورزشکاری خودش و ایده هایی که از درون کتابها آموخت، توانست یک شیوه رزمی جدید به نام jeet kune به وجود آورد که تلفیقی از همه دانش و تکنیک رزمی اش بود.
او بعدها در اوج شهرتش، خواندن کتاب های فلسفه غرب و شرق را شروع کرد. اینها لیست کتاب های کتابخانه بروس‌لی هستند.
Western Philosophy:
Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume
Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes
The Undiscovered Self by Carl Jung
On Becoming a Person by Carl Rogers
The Works of Bertrand Russell
The Works of Plato
Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracian
Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (and other Campbell titles)
Ethics by Benedict de Spinoza
Maxims and Reflections by Johann Wolfgang van Goethe
Eastern Philosophy:
The Works of Jiddu Krishnamurti (whom Polly notes was “one of his more important influences”)
Tao-Te-Ching by Lao-Tzu
The Way of Chuang-Tzu
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
The Works of Alan Watts
The Analects of Confucius
Art of War by Sun-Tzu
Bushido: The Soul of the Samurai
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (and many other Hesse titles)
Buddhism by Christmas Humphreys (and dozens of other Buddhism-related titles)
The Chinese Classics compiled by James Legge (all 5 volumes)
Living Zen by Robert Linssen (and many other Zen-related titles)
Martial Arts/Fencing/Boxing:
On Fencing by Aldo Nadi (plus at least 60(!) other books on fencing and fencing theory)
Aikido: The Art of Self-Defense by Koichi Tohei
Advanced Karate by Mas Oyama (and many other Oyama titles)
A Beginner’s Book of Gymnastics by Barry Johnson
Championship Fighting by Jack Dempsey
Book of Boxing and Bodybuilding by Rocky Marciano
How to Box by Joe Louis
US Army Boxing Manual
Efficiency of Human Movement by Marion Ruth Broer
Physiology of Exercise by Laurence Morehouse
Wing Chun by James Lee
Acupuncture: The Ancient Chinese Art of Healing by Felix Mann
Esquire’s The Art of Keeping Fit
Combat Training of the Individual Soldier by the US Army
Modern Bodybuilding by Oscar Heidenstam
American Self-Help:
The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale (and many other Peale titles)
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Dynamic Thinking by Melvin Powers
The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
The Success System That Never Fails by Clement Stone
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger
Miscellaneous:
Elements of Style by Strunk and White
Playboy’s Party Jokes & More Playboy’s Party Jokes
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (one of the few novels)
The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
The Story of Civilization by Will Durant (all 11 volumes!)
The Viking Book of Aphorisms
The Works of Shakespeare
Check out Brett’s podcast interview with Matthew Polly about Bruce Lee’s life:
The Libraries of Famous Men: Bruce Lee
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/the-libraries-of-famous-men-bruce-lee/
Sources:
Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly
