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It isn't really about motorcycle maintenance. Pirsig uses that as a common example in various places throughout the book. Its actually a philosophical novel,
by antoko 14y ago
It isn't really about motorcycle maintenance. Pirsig uses that as a common example in various places throughout the book. Its actually a philosophical novel, the subtitle is "An Inquiry into Values"
His later work Lila - is similarly subtitled "An Inquiry into Morals"
I highly recommend them both.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_Maintenance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_M...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lila:_An_Inquiry_into_Morals http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lila:_An_Inquiry_into_Morals
- waterlesscloud 14y agoI wonder if people still read it or if it's mostly something for people who were alive in the 70s?
- antoko 14y agoDid the people from the 70s forget how to read now its 2013? ;) I was born in '79 so although I was alive in 70s I wasn't really part of the whole free love movement or anything :) I'm not sure its even that popular of a book for that cohort... I mean its a philosophical novel, what's the size of that market ever been? There are certainly some things addressed in the book that aren't as applicable in a modern setting but the main thrust of the book investigates the intrinsic value or quality of things - That should always be applicable to future generations.
- taejo 14y agoWhen I read it, I was a young teenager in the 2000s. It was engrossing and mind-expanding, though perhaps I was more interested in 70s ideas than most.
- militiaman21 14y agoI'm 23 and I just finished reading this book. I even passed it on to a friend.
- falcolas 14y agoI just tried to read it, and had to quit when it started spouting all the pseudo religious advice as fact, and as a replacement for scientific inquiry. But that's just my opinion.
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- digibri 14y agoI read it first when I was in my early 20s. I seem to re-read it about every 5 years. Though some of the language is dated, I find the philosophical musing important enough to take the time to refresh in my mind. Finally, the "me" that I bring to the book is different every time I pick it up for the next re-reading...which is to say, I find that I relate to the text differently over time.
- dorkrawk 14y agoI've read it several times, the first time being in highschool and the most recent being a few months ago. As I get older I've read it with a bit more skepticism about the novelty of his overarching ideas and the rigor of some of his reasoning but I always find the book full of valuable ideas and interesting food for thought.
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- kelvin0 14y agoGreat Post!I must absolutely read this Zen and the Art ... Also, I have never played tennis but I read the book 'The inner game of Tennis' (W. Timothy Gallwey) and it was a very enlightening experience for me. It seems some of these books somehow use the subject matter purely as a parable or metaphor that is so powerful, and they shine a light on a very core aspect of being. I recommend the 'inner game of tennis' to anyone , even if you never hit a single ball in your life ...