Although the book is specifically aimed at a younger market, which comes across clearly in the style of writing, this in no way impedes its accessibility. The Game of Death colouration of the sturdy cover is either a happy accident or an ideal marketing ploy, while the author's view of Bruce Lee comes from outside of the usual fan-based arena these books usually stem from and benefits because of this, with the information presented as concise but impartial. Quotes are lifted from a cross-section of works, primarily from the writings of Linda Lee Cadwell, Bruce Thomas and Tom Bleecker and are well integrated into the main body text. Sidebars focusing and providing more detail on Bruce Lee related issues make for a nice touch, although a section on Brandon Lee's death seems out of place based, as it is on a sensational article from an entertainment periodical.

While the book is an agreeable experience, it can't be considered an essential purchase. I could pin this on the fact that for an educational book it isn't entirely free of faults; although the text is factually based there are one or two minor errors that should have been picked up in the editing process. This is just a tiny niggle though and shouldn't deter newcomers from adding it to their collection, especially if their criteria is an easily read introduction to the life of Bruce Lee. Old timers, however, might want to give it a miss, as there's little to sink their teeth into here.


What's up, Lee?   July 5, 2002
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I started out my summer with a biography, The Importance of Bruce Lee. The author of this fantastic biography, Andy Koopmans, provides so many details that you could just imagine being in Bruce Lee's shoes. For example, Bruce Lee was a bus boy while growing up and he hated it! I can see why, because one of my chores is HHH--that stands for hand wash, hand dry, and hand out the dishes and silverware. One reason I enjoyed this book was because when I was done with it Bruce Lee became a hero to me. Another reason I enjoyed the book was because I happen to be a very serious martial arts fan.

Among the several things I liked in the book are all the surprises. No, no, no, not like cake and brownies and presents. But things I didn't know that I found out, such as Bruce Lee's youth gang, the Tigers, a gang that lost a lot of fights. But Lee never admitted defeat. Bruce Lee's love life was the biggest surprise of all. I mean, who would expect his life to be like Romeo and Juliet? He was a dragon in love with girls. In Hong Kong girls adored him but in America it was harder to find girls. Lee, however, was determined. If a girl he liked passed him, he would take off his shirt and beat up one of his bigger students to impress her. I'm eleven years old and the mix of Bruce Lee's fighting and romance reminded me of things I like to hear about.

I would recommend The Importance of Bruce Lee to anyone interested in martial arts, Bruce Lee (that one is kind of obvious!), and the life of a movie actor. After reading this book, whenever I push myself to extremes like swimming fourteen laps and biking five miles every day, I think of Bruce Lee. I'm thankful to Andy Koopmans for writing this inspiring biography. I've read biographies before but nothing like this one. I enjoyed this book so much that I'm going to read whatever else I can find written by Andy Koopmans.