Motivational speaker Shannon Lee opens this uplifting, thoughtful and empowering guide to self-actualization by admitting, "I have no expertise in anything other than Bruce Lee." While she truly is an expert on her late father, she is also a warm, patient and insightful guide to his philosophical concepts. Shannon Lee builds Be Water, My Friend on Bruce Lee's extensive but elliptical philosophical writings and expands upon them. He intentionally wrote in generalities in the same way he created the martial art of jeet kune do (a technique that emphasized formlessness and non-telegraphic movement) because he wanted participants to engage their mind rather than practice rote drilling. Likewise, in his philosophy, he wanted his words to awaken thoughts in others. Shannon Lee's modern-day elaborations are pithy, clear and helpful.
Bruce Lee once wrote, "The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination." Be Water, My Friend reminds readers to embody the quality of fluidity in life. Lee adopted the term "choiceless awareness" from one of his favorite philosophers, Jiddu Krishnamurti; the idea is to be aware of everything happening around and within you without making a premature choice or judgment that will shade or alter the experience. Although the book contains plenty of helpful mantras ("Pessimism blunts the tools you need to succeed"), it also offers concrete tools to help create a centered sense of purpose, bringing peace of mind and joy.
Shannon Lee offers in Be Water, My Friend an empowering and fascinating self-help book that blends her father's biography and philosophies. --Kevin Howell, independent reviewer and marketing consultant