Bruce Lee (1940-1973) was an intense man with such sheer concentration of energy that no one who encountered him, on screen or in person, could help but be drawn to him and his enthusiasm for life and knowledge. A voracious and engaged reader, Lee wrote extensively, synthesizing the thought of East and West into a unique personal philosophy of self-discovery. As an actor, Lee became a cultural icon. He was born in San Francisco but spent his formative years in Hong Kong. His groundbreaking action films sparked intense interest in the Asian martial arts in the West. His most famous film is Enter the Dragon (1973). His own personal martial art style (Jeet Kune Do) sparked a revolution in how the Asian martial arts are studied and perceived today. He was an avid student of all forms of martial arts along with Eastern and Western philosophy and is regarded today as the most influential martial artist who ever lived. Lee moved beyond the rigid traditional style of martial arts to develop his own free-form, modern style of Jeet Kune Do.

John Little is considered one of the world's foremost authorities on Bruce Lee, his training methods, and philosophies. Little was the first person authorized to review the entirety of Lee's personal notes, sketches, and reading annotations.