Named one of the 10 Best Books of the Year by Publishers Weekly Named a Best of the Year by NPR, Vogue , Kirkus Reviews, Alta Journal " This book is as celebratory as it is incisive, as it is, at times, heartbreaking. A massive achievement." — Hanif Abdurraqib, National Book Award-winning author of There’s Always This Year and A Little Devil in America A cultural biography, both sweeping and intimate, of the legend Bruce Lee, set against the extraordinary, untold story of the rise of Asian America—from the author of the award-winning classic Can’t Stop Won’t Stop and one of the finest culture observers of our era. More than a half-century after his passing, Bruce Lee is as towering a figure to people around the world as ever. On his path to becoming a global icon, he popularized martial arts in the West, became a bridge to people and cultures from the East, and just as he was set to conquer Hollywood once and for all, he died of cerebral edema at age thirty-two. It’s no wonder that Bruce Lee’s legend has only bloomed in the decades since. Yet, in so many ways, the legend has eclipsed the man. Forgotten is the stark reality of the baby boy born in segregated San Francisco, who spent his youth in war-ravaged, fight-crazy Hong Kong. Forgotten is the curious teenager who found his way back to America, where he embraced West Coast counterculture and meshed it with the Asian worldviews and philosophies that reared him. Forgotten is the man whose very presence broke barriers and helped shape the idea of what being an Asian in America is, at the very dawn of Asian America. Water Mirror Echo —a title inspired by Bruce Lee’s own way of moving, being and responding to the world—is a page-turning and powerful reminder. At the helm is Jeff Chang, the award-winning author of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop , whose writing on culture, politics, the arts and music have made him one of the most acclaimed and distinctive voices of our time. In his hands, Bruce Lee’s story brims with authenticity. Now, based on in-depth interviews with Lee’s closest intimates, thousands of newly available personal documents, and featuring dozens of gorgeous photographs from the family’s archive, Chang achieves the nearly impossible. He reveals the man behind the enduring iconography and stirringly shows Lee’s growing fame ushering in something that’s turned out to be even more enduring: the creation of Asian America. "A uniquely American origin story.... With a probing pen born from decades as a prominent music and culture journalist ... Chang artfully blends Lee's life story and Asian American history with the skill and touch of a hip-hop DJ. As Lee's life story spins on one turntable, Chang adds in the social and political conditions of the time — racism, immigration and war — as the backbeat, artfully weaving and crossfading between the two.... Water Mirror Echo shows [the] evolution of an icon and the birth of a nation with rhythm and receipts." - San Francisco Chronicle "Exuberant.... A capacious and entertaining account of Lee’s life and times.... Chang has rummaged through the archives and interviewed Lee’s surviving family members and friends; he writes with the diligence of a scholar and the propulsive energy of a fan.... Chang guides us through the life in a bustling narrative filled with vibrant anecdotes, historical context and chatty asides, alongside numerous photos of Lee that include high-contrast film stills and grainy, casual shots from the family archive." - New York Times Book Review "[A] lively and deeply researched biography of Lee that doubles as a probing exploration of Lee’s profound effect on Asian American identity. Along with telling the gripping story of Lee’s life and groundbreaking career, Chang ... reframes the legend as a crucial pioneer and catalyst of assimilation, pride, and representation who, decades after his death at the age of 32, remains a powerful icon of power and resistance. This is that rare book that’s monumental in scope, ambition, and execution—and it’s both wildly fun and deeply rewarding.   " - Vogue "[A] panoramic biography.... Peppering the narrative with rich historical details and poignant analyses, Chang persuasively argues that Lee’s presence on screen helped shape the idea of what it means to be Asian in America. This definitive account cements Chang as a preeminent chronicler of Asian American history." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) "This expansive biography of an iconic actor doubles as a nuanced history of Asian American empowerment. Chang ... adeptly shows how Lee’s magnetism and physical talents, showcased in Enter the Dragon and other beloved action movies, helped spur 'an awakening among racialized minorities.' ... Chang relates these details against a shifting set of crisply depicted backdrops, from 1960s Asian American student activism to the stylistic debates that shaped martial arts during Lee’s time. ... A rousing portrait of a charismatic actor who redefi