Zen of Muhammad Ali: And Other Obsessions.

Davis Miller.

ISBN 10: 0099429527 / ISBN 13: 9780099429524

Published by Vintage U.K., London, UK, 2002

About this Item

First Ed UK, so stated. Very Good+ in Wraps: shows indications of very light use: juste a hint of wear to extremities; pages very lightly tanned; binding shows the slightest lean, but remains perfectly secure; text clean. Remains close to 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 166pp. Trade Paperback. Through a brilliant collection of essays, Miller grounds American culture's ambitions and dreams, uncovering the frailties and failings of those who have become the gods of his generation along the way. The result is not a depressingly harsh reality check, but a poignant personal view of the American Dream that seems to make the philosophy feel that much more accessible. I have always been interested in modern iconography and like the majority of the western world am fascinated by Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee. Davis Miller offers a deep, addictive read. Miller had ambitions on being a successful martial artist and author, but was prepared to learn from the lessons life taught him. He has his heroes and was fortunate enough to get to know two of them, Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. Upon discovering their human sides, he does not then fall into the common media trap of ruthlessly dissecting them, but instead holds a mirror up to himself and those who decide to propagate the mythology of these figures. He makes a sound argument that through pushing these figures as modern-day gods and adding falsities to their lives devalues them as human beings. This is examined in full in his Bruce Lee essay in the book, "Bruce Lee, American." It is refreshing to see that Miller's frankness lacks the usual arrogant and condescending attitude too often seen in tabloids and unauthorised biographies. Instead he writes always with a close examination of his own mortality and often, by use of self-comparison, further shows why these great men truly are "great." This is never more evident than in his article "Wanting to Whup Sugar Ray." The third part of the book, entitled "Personal Struggles", appeared, at my first glance at the contents page, to be a disappointing anti-climax. This could not be further from the truth and is in fact my personal favourite. The section starts with an inspired fictional short story and then follows on with real-life accounts of his life, which really touch upon the American Dream philosophy I spoke about earlier. These essays are sometimes sad, sometimes optimistic and always very human. Not being American, I found Davis Miller's work to be a warm and humble introduction to the culture he grew up in. Many can learn from his honest and gentle approach to the human spirit and the life it helps create.

Seller Inventory # 34368

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Zen of Muhammad Ali: And Other Obsessions.
• Publisher: Vintage U.K., London, UK
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0099429527
• ISBN 13: 9780099429524
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: First Ed UK, so stated.
• Seller catalogs:
  • Sports and Physical Fitness

About this title

Synopsis

Collected here for the first time are the best of Davis Miller's essays and memoirs. The volume contains his celebrated trilogy of award-winning Muhammad Ali pieces, including the classic 'My Dinner with Ali', together with a provocative new essay called 'The Yin and the Yang of Muhammad Ali'. There are also two pieces about Miller's unusual relationship with another boxer, 'Sugar' Ray Leonard, and he continues to explore the Bruce Lee phenomenon - as he did in his acclaimed bestseller The Tao of Bruce Lee. The Zen of Muhammad Ali tells us about fighting, living, friendship and love. The pieces are arranged - each with an illuminating new note - to form a unique and haunting book.

About the Author

Davis Miller's writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Men's Journal, Esquire, Sport magazine, Sports Illustrated, and numerous other periodicals. His first published story, 'My Dinner with Ali' was voted by the Sunday Magazine Editors Association to be the best essay published in a newspaper magazine in the US in 1989. Davis Miller has two children and lives in North Carolina.