Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

an inquiry into values

Paperback, 436 pages

English language

Published Aug. 13, 1999 by Vintage.

ISBN:
978-0-09-932261-0
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4 stars (4 reviews)

"The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called 'yourself.'"One of the most important and influential books of the past half-century, Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a powerful, moving, and penetrating examination of how we live and a meditation on how to live better. The narrative of a father on a summer motorcycle trip across America's Northwest with his young son, it becomes a profound personal and philosophical odyssey into life's fundamental questions. A true modern classic, it remains at once touching and transcendent, resonant with the myriad confusions of existence and the small, essential triumphs that propel us forward.

14 editions

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (3rd re-read)

4 stars

This is the third time I've re-read this book, and I liked it the least this time. This book has a few important points, some of which I haven't found other books that talk about — in particular, the ideas about the tautological nature of "rationality" and "science" are important and unique, and the ideas about the nuances of what about the relationship of people to technology causes unhappiness and strife is well-considered. Unfortunately, much of the book is discussion of the novel philosophical concept that the author calls "Quality", a concept which I think is ill-considered and ill-argued. Frustrating, since the disagreements the author assumes a reader might have with his arguments are not the ones that I have.

I still do love this book, and I certainly would still recommend it in many circumstances, but I was sad to return to it and find it not quite as …

Review of 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Very long winded, slow to get to the point. Only at the end does it get quite exciting, but did the author really need so long to finally reveal what he meant by "Quality"? I felt rather cheated when I found out what he meant (no spoiler! so I do not extend further...). But then, maybe I have exactly the kind of mindset he seems to have a problem with, so it is not so surprising I was frustrated by this book. It took me two years to finally get to the end of it...

Subjects

  • Pirsig, Robert M. -- Journeys -- United States.
  • Philosophy and civilization.
  • Zen Buddhism and science.
  • Fathers and sons -- United States.
  • Motorcycles -- Maintenance and repair.
  • United States -- Description and travel.