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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values Mass Market Paperback – March 1, 1984

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Robert M. Pirsig (Author)
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Robert M. Pirsig (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 1,493 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 373 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam New Age Books (October 1981)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0553277472
  • ISBN-13: 978-0553277470
  • Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,493 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #445,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsWhy I'm Writing Review Number 473 of a 30 year old book
By Gary R. Larson on November 2, 2006
Format: Paperback
I'm compelled to write this review after browsing the others, because something has to be said about book that isn't being pointed out for someone who is interested in the book for the first time.

At this point, this book can be found on the front table in your local bookstore. Other philosophy books can be found in the philosophy section either collecting dust, or being perused by someone intensely interested in philosophy who is well versed in debates that have gone on for centuries.

I have listened to the author, Robert Pirsig, being interviewed, and it seems that he did, in fact, intend for this book and its premise of "Quality" to be the great, all encompassing philosophy, presented in a straightforward, readable manner. However, despite Pirsig's intention, that is not quite why this book has become so famous.

This book is famous because it fills a perfect niche in that it introduces some very complicated philosophical questions in a form that the common reader will find interesting. Pirsig is attempting to create a practical philosophy and sets the book against the background of actual experience to make the questions he ponders real for the reader.

With that in mind, if you are not clamoring for a debate with someone else who is knowledgable on the ins and outs of Kierkegaard and Spinoza and are simply looking for a readable book that makes a real attempt of answering the big questions in life, this book is for you.

What I find interesting, and somewhat disturbing, is that many choose to deride this book because it doesn't agree with their notions of philosopy, but fail to grasp that the people who are most likely to read this book won't even be at the table to understand their objections to it unless they read it.Read more ›
80 Comments 1,009 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
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5.0 out of 5 starsOver 2000 Years of Wisdom in 373 Pages
By Walter V. Cicha on May 2, 2000
Format: Mass Market Paperback
In my (1/e)*100 years on this planet, during which I devoured at least ten times as many books, I have read only two more than once - "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" is one of them. In this monumental 1974 work, Robert Pirsig has achieved what few others have managed before him and, to the best of my knowledge, nobody else has accomplished since: a perfect unification of philosophy, adventure and mystery. His "Chautauqua," or traveling tale, takes the reader on a profound tour of ancient Greek philosophy, the steppes of Montana, and even a little bit of Zen Buddhism, with endless surprises and much original if not truly inspired thought along the way. Through his self-portrayal by means of the unforgettable and eerily enigmatic character Phaedrus, Mr. Pirsig shares his far-reaching search for the meaning of life, and himself. His fundamental concern is with the following seemingly simple but in effect infinitely complex question: "How can one distinguish "good" from "bad?" The question is posed and addressed in many different forms throughout the book, and in the process the concepts of truth, value and quality are dissected, reassembled, and again dissected and reassembled many times. Mr. Pirsig has an uncanny sense of timing, and he never allows the heavier passages to labor on too long. This is avoided by craftily interspersing his philosophical discourse amongst very down-to-earth and charming observations made during a motorcycle trip that takes the narrator and his seemingly troubled son Chris from the American Prairies to the Pacific, and forms the prevalent background for the entire "Chautauqua." "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" is a totally unique creation.Read more ›
10 Comments 446 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
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4.0 out of 5 starsWell-written, thought-provoking, and courageous.
By Michael Green on December 18, 2000
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Part road novel, part philosophy, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance ("ZMM") met with huge critical and commercial success when first published in 1974. Narrator and son ride from Minneapolis to San Francisco; meanwhile, both are haunted by the narrator's past insanity, brought about by his "chasing the ghost of rationality". A series of philosophical monologues addresses questions both mundane - how to fix a motorcycle - and metaphysical.
Today ZMM retains a sizeable following, although criticism of it is very polarised: Pirsig's fervent self-assurance when dealing with philosophical questions converts some readers into "followers" and tends to exasperate everyone else. Mostly structured as a "solution" rather than an "inquiry", as the title claims, ZMM's philosophy is too often accepted without question, and it is frequently and regrettably true that the more positive the review, the more philosophically naïve the reviewer. Nonetheless, this should not disallow ZMM from being considered on its own merits.
ZMM is not an introductory philosophy text, more a "once-in-a-lifetime" philosophical statement; the comparison has already been made with Hofstadter's "Gödel, Escher, Bach", and Hofstadter's description - "a statement of my religion" - could well describe ZMM, too. When one considers the motivation required to sustain Pirsig's long and solitary struggle in writing and publishing ZMM, the rhetorical fervour of his arguments becomes more understandable. Those who attack Pirsig as pompous or narcissistic fail to appreciate the degree of self-belief needed to complete such a highly individualistic work. So, we can certainly admire him for trying - but is ZMM any good?Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

original edition - great condition

Published 6 days ago by Sharon Williams
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

one of the best novels ever written.

Published 6 days ago by Chris M.
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great Book!!

Published 7 days ago by Leonel
3.0 out of 5 starsThere's lots of greatness here, but...

Also a good chunk I don't care for; while relevant, much of the second half of the book's philosophy was lost on me, and not for lack of try. Read more

Published 8 days ago by ruckus666
5.0 out of 5 starsThink and Feel

This book is going to take a lot of time and rereading to process, but it was worth it. It makes me deeply introspective.

Published 8 days ago by Rodney Carpenter
5.0 out of 5 starsConfusing, irritating yet breathtaking

Yes, this book is all those things plus motorcycle maintenance! I gave it 5 stars because in spite of my frustration I was learning. Read more

Published 8 days ago by Kathleen Shannon
5.0 out of 5 starsA hard read and a good one ones you get it

Some things are just extraordinary and you cannot give them a rating and this is one such thing. Amazing read completed in 6 months

Published 9 days ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsIt connects all the dots.

Unfortunately I couldn't sum up in short. However, I have been giving away copies. It's that good!

Published 12 days ago by Alan Griffith
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Gift for my son

Published 13 days ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsThis book should be read by everyone

I bought this hardcover edition to replace a dog-eared and highlighted paper back edition I bought 40 years ago. Read more

Published 18 days ago by JW

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