Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (P.S.)

Amazon.com Review:
In his now classic Zen and the Art of MotorcycleMaintenance, Robert Pirsig brings us a literary chautauqua, anovel that is meant to both entertain and edify. It scores high onboth counts.

Phaedrus, our narrator, takes a present-tensecross-country motorcycle trip with his son during which themaintenance of the motorcycle becomes an illustration of how we canunify the cold, rational realm of technology with the warm,imaginative realm of artistry. As in Zen, the trick is to become onewith the activity, to engage in it fully, to see and appreciate alldetails--be it hiking in the woods, penning an essay, or tighteningthe chain on a motorcycle.

In his autobiographical first novel,Pirsig wrestles both with the ghost of his past and with the mostimportant philosophical questions of the 20th century--why hastechnology alienated us from our world? what are the limits ofrational analysis? if we can't define the good, how can we live it?Unfortunately, while exploring the defects of our philosophicalheritage from Socrates and the Sophists to Hume and Kant, Pirsiginexplicably stops at the middle of the 19th century. With theexception of Poincaré, he ignores the more recent philosopherswho have tackled his most urgent questions, thinkers such as Peirce,Nietzsche (to whom Phaedrus bears a passing resemblance), Heidegger,Whitehead, Dewey, Sartre, Wittgenstein, and Kuhn. In the end, thenarrator's claims to originality turn out to be overstated, hisreasoning questionable, and his understanding of the history ofWestern thought sketchy. His solution to a synthesis of the rationaland creative by elevating Quality to a metaphysical level simplyrepeats the mistakes of the premodern philosophers. But in contrast tomost other philosophers, Pirsig writes a compelling story. And he is atrue innovator in his attempt to popularize a reconciliation ofEastern mindfulness and nonrationalism with Western subject/objectdualism. The magic of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenanceturns out to lie not in the answers it gives, but in the questions itraises and the way it raises them. Like a cross between The Razor's Edge andSophie's World,Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance takes us into "thehigh country of the mind" and opens our eyes to vistas ofpossibility. --Brian Bruya

Product Description:

"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.

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Customer Reviews

Rating: - definitely worth reading
There are many things to like about this book. It is thought provoking, it contains some excellent insights, and the pace of the story works for the subject matter. Overall, at the end of the book, I was a bit disappointed because Pirsig didn't wrap things up as well as thought he should've, but I still give it five stars because the work is thought-provoking and well written. Unlike most novels which leave me cold, this one is chock full of philosophical ideas and questions that are important and ... Read More
Rating: - Relevant, Entertaining, and Thought-Provoking
Robert M. Pirsig's classic, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values," is an enjoyable, intriguing, and thoughtful publication.While first published in 1974, this book is as relevant today (2009) as it was when it was first printed.

Written as a "narrated novel," this book delves into the differences, and commonalities, of art and science.Using a cross-country motorcycle trip as a backdrop, Pirsig considers the essence...and limits...of science and compares ... Read More
Rating: - Great read!
I just got this book, because it is one of the favorites of the Lakers coach Phil Jackson. Its a great read about important things in life.
Rating: - Before UFC 87 Jon Fitch said this book helped him pull off 8 consecutive wins
This is one of the hardest books I have ever read. I decided to pick it up after seeing one of Fitch's pre-fight interviews before his fight with George St. Pierre for the Welterweight Championship. Jon Fitch said this is the book that helped him become such a successful MMA fighter in the UFC.

After Jon tied the UFC record for victories in a row with 8, I wondered how this book could be so influential. In the book as in many martial arts the focus is on quality instead of winning. The ... Read More
Rating: - The art of teaching by example
It is difficult to convey the joy that can be gained from carefully reading and contemplating Pirsig's masterpiece, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." While this is definitely an intellectual exercise, it's perhaps best understood as a meditation on the moments and substance that constitute our experience.

Pirsig's assertion is that Quality is both experiential and a source of understanding, therefore superseding traditional dualistic views. The brilliance of this work as a novel ... Read More