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Why is this book mentioned so often here? I know nothing about it but my first thought is that motorcycles and the people who love them have zero appeal to tech

Why is this book mentioned so often here? I know nothing about it but my first thought is that motorcycles and the people who love them have zero appeal to tech / startup people.

GuyPostington 7y ago
That's exactly why you should read the book. It's less so about motorcycle than you think.
JshWright 7y ago
There may not be much overlap with the tech-bro/silicon valley (the TV show) folks, but there is a huge amount of overlap when it comes to "hackers" (in the sense that "Hacker News" uses the term). It's also a lot less about actual motorcycles than the title would imply.
- wallace_f 7y ago
  Another title could be something like: "...and the art (quality and values) of human experience with technology"
callesgg 7y ago
The book is more about the idea of maintaining motorcycles that it is about actually maintaining motorcycles.
seriesf 7y ago
This book is about motorcycles in the same way that Blue Highways is about vans.
lidHanteyk 7y ago
Pirsig figured it out. He didn't have a perfect way to pass on the ideas, but he made a definite advance in metaphysics and ethics, and we're still chewing on his insights today. Pirsig wrote only two books, and this, the first book, is the more important of the two to the typical layperson.
sradman 7y ago
It was a popular book that has many dimensions. The subtitle "An Inquiry Into Values" hints at Pirsig's core thrust: a philosophical exploration of what we call "quality". The title and Zen references made for me, a techie-nerd, the concept of Zen very concrete and my personal Zen tagline, "mindfulness through mastery, mastery through mindfulness" applies to most things I care about. The book was also my gateway to Plato and ancient Greek philosophy. It's not touchy feely. Pirsig is a scientist and technologist exploring Zen and quality. It is the best example of what John Brockman calls "The Third Culture" in reference to C.P. Snow's famous essay.
ska 7y ago
Your first thought would be inaccurate, in my experience. More importantly, it's not really a book about motorcycles.
daralthus 7y ago
It treats the mind as a machine that needs regular maintenance. That's the appeal to hackers.

Why is this book mentioned so often here? I know nothing about it but my first thought is that motorcycles and the people who love them have zero appeal to tech / startup people.

GuyPostington 7y ago

That's exactly why you should read the book. It's less so about motorcycle than you think.

JshWright 7y ago

There may not be much overlap with the tech-bro/silicon valley (the TV show) folks, but there is a huge amount of overlap when it comes to "hackers" (in the sense that "Hacker News" uses the term). It's also a lot less about actual motorcycles than the title would imply.

wallace_f 7y ago
Another title could be something like: "...and the art (quality and values) of human experience with technology"

callesgg 7y ago

The book is more about the idea of maintaining motorcycles that it is about actually maintaining motorcycles.

seriesf 7y ago

This book is about motorcycles in the same way that Blue Highways is about vans.

lidHanteyk 7y ago

Pirsig figured it out. He didn't have a perfect way to pass on the ideas, but he made a definite advance in metaphysics and ethics, and we're still chewing on his insights today. Pirsig wrote only two books, and this, the first book, is the more important of the two to the typical layperson.

sradman 7y ago

It was a popular book that has many dimensions. The subtitle "An Inquiry Into Values" hints at Pirsig's core thrust: a philosophical exploration of what we call "quality". The title and Zen references made for me, a techie-nerd, the concept of Zen very concrete and my personal Zen tagline, "mindfulness through mastery, mastery through mindfulness" applies to most things I care about. The book was also my gateway to Plato and ancient Greek philosophy. It's not touchy feely. Pirsig is a scientist and technologist exploring Zen and quality. It is the best example of what John Brockman calls "The Third Culture" in reference to C.P. Snow's famous essay.

ska 7y ago

Your first thought would be inaccurate, in my experience. More importantly, it's not really a book about motorcycles.

daralthus 7y ago

It treats the mind as a machine that needs regular maintenance. That's the appeal to hackers.