Guidebook to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Paperback)

by Ron Di Santo (Author), Tom Steele (Author) "This chronology is almost altogether drawn from a very helpful footnote in Forrest B. Shearon's "Visual Imagery and Internal Awareness in Pirsig's Zen and the..." (more)
Key Phrases: preintellectual awareness, analytic knife, undifferentiated aesthetic continuum, New York, Tao Te Ching, Robert Pirsig (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The authors of this gloss on Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance assert that the popular 1974 novel/travelogue/autobiography "offers the beginnings of a new metaphysical synthesis" fusing East and West, intuition and reason, aesthetic and technical approaches to life. As they track Pirsig's narrator and his 11-year-old son, Chris, on their road odyssey from Minnesota to San Francisco, DiSanto and Steele (who teach at Regis College in Denver) unload the narrator's philosophical backpack of Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Hindu and Western ideas. Frequent use of the second person singular ("How do you learn to let go?") lightens their academic discourse, which serves as a thoroughgoing introduction to Pirsig's bestseller. This primer includes reviews of the work and an entire chapter, cut from Pirsig's original manuscript, which puts the relationship between the narrator and his troubled son in a more positive light.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

When Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was first published in 1974, it caused a literary sensation. An entire generation was profoundly affected by the story of the narrator, his son, Chris, and their month-long motorcycle odyssey from Minnesota to California. A combination of philosophical speculation and psychological tension, the book is a complex story of relationships, values, madness, and, eventually, enlightenment.

Ronald DiSanto and Thomas Steele have spent years investigating the background and underlying symbolism of Pirsig's work. Together, and with the approval of Robert Pirsig, they have written a fascinating reference/companion to the original

Guidebook to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance serves as a metaphorical backpack of supplies for the reader's journey through the original work. With the background material, insights, and perspectives the authors provide, Guidebook to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is destined to become required reading for new fans of the book as well as those who have returned to it over the years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (November 19, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688060692
• ISBN-13: 978-0688060695
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #91,985 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential bring-along for the ZMM, November 28, 2000

By	Ed H. Chi (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For fans of ZMM, this is an incredible book that summarizes various aspects of the ZMM book. First and foremost, it gives you the necessary background on philosophy to get a better understanding of where the Pirsig is coming from.

Secondly, it is great studying material for those of us who're interested in getting deeper into the issues that Pirsig gets to in the ZMM. Particularly, I liked the section in this book that relates Quality with Taoist principles.

A must have!

It can be read without reading ZMM, BTW.

81 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended companion to Pirsig's book, June 21, 1999

By A Customer

Additional background material, both philosophical and historical, really illuminates the original Pirsig book. The bonus is sometimes startling insights, and new questions (often unanswered for the reader to work out). Think of it as an informal but well-written textbook by teachers who care both about the material and the student. It lures the reader into further self-study in epistemology, metaphysics, aesthetics, and ethics. Contains valuable passages that were edited out of the original Pirsig book.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, January 25, 2003

By	H. Row "in1ear" (Arvada, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The inclusion of edited material from ZAMM was welcome. I found I was distracted when I was actually reading ZAMM andreferencing the guidebook. My suggestion - read ZAMM completely then refer to the guidebook to explore a section more deeply. The reviews of ZAMM were of passing interest, from the early reviews published after the book's release to later ones and their criticism.
I'm not a deeply devout person of any given persuasion, so the religious comparisons and references were of lesser importance. I think they would be helpful if one were looking to delve deeper into Buddhism or other philosophy. This Guidebook DID ADD to my overall understanding and enjoyment of ZAMM.