Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
An Inquiry Into Values
Paperback - 2008
THE CLASSIC BOOK THAT HAS INSPIRED MILLIONS
A penetrating examination of how we live and how to live better
Few books transform a generation and then establish themselves as touchstones for the generations that follow. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one such book. This modern epic of a man's search for meaning became an instant bestseller on publication in 1974, acclaimed as one of the most exciting books in the history of American letters. It continues to inspire millions.
A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions on how to live. The narrator's relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reckoning; the craft of motorcycle maintenance leads to an austerely beautiful process for reconciling science, religion, and humanism. Resonant with the confusions of existence, this classic is a touching and transcendent book of life.
This new edition contains an interview with Pirsig and letters and documents detailing how this extraordinary book came to be.
- Details
- Full Record
- Additional Info
Searching for more content…
Searching for more content…0061673730
917.30492
Opinion
From Library Staff
From Library Staff
Pirsig, whose 1974 philosophical novel became a million-selling classic and cultural touchstone after more than 100 publishers turned it down, died on April 24 at the age of 88. No cause was given.
From the critics
Comment
Add a CommentSooooooooo boring!!!!!!
It's been on my to be read list for years. This discovery of the motorcycle and the donation of it and artifacts to the Smithsonian has me checking this book out and finally reading it to see what it is all about. More...once I have read it....
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/cycle-zen-art-and-motorcycle-maintenance-comes-smithsonian-180973836/
Insufferable.
This book is a must read for anyone interested in philosophy, getting away from it all, and technology.
As I've aged, the philosophy of this book has altered. Insights I missed in previous readings seem starkly profound, and passages that used to fill me with revelation now fill me with disenchantment. Because of that, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance creates a dialogue that is still as relevant as the first time I read it. If you love true stories that are touching, fervent, and thought-provoking, you’ll want to read this book.
The philosophy is deep and intriguing, but can be dry at times. The story line of a father on a road trip with his son helps to break up the ideas of the book into smaller, digestible bits. A great read to get one into the philosophy genre.
Only book that made me cry at the end of it all. A beautiful journey. Take it!
This book was recommended to me a long time ago and I have to now thank whoever planted that seed from a long time ago. This book, considering when it was written, still holds so much relevance to today's youth and young adults. Has a bit of a slow beginning, but really picks up as story goes on. It is filled with so much depth and energy. Absolutely loved this book!
A little bit to mature for me. It kept going into these metaphors that it was hard for me to really understand if I was constantly moving in and out of the book with a busy life style. Worth reading if you have the time to have long periods of sitting.
This book came out in the 1970's and still holds up today. I enjoyed the blend of "zen" and the journey.