Sign-In
Cart
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
Paperback
Travel WritingBuddhismCognition
Publisher Price: $24.99
ISBN13: 9780061673733
Publisher: Mariner Books Classics
Published: Sep 30 2008
Pages: 448
Weight: 0.94
Height: 1.23 Width: 5.60 Depth: 8.40
Language: English
A man and his young son embark on a summer motorcycle road trip across America's Northwest, seeking to reconnect and explore the open country.
But this is no ordinary vacation. As the miles unspool, the journey transforms into a profound philosophical inquiry, a rolling Chautauqua that seeks to answer one of life's most essential questions: What is best?
On a vintage motorcycle, the narrator grapples not only with the mechanics of his machine but with the very nature of Quality itself. He confronts the deep split in modern life between a cold, rational view of technology and a romantic, emotional engagement with the world, searching for a way to heal the divide. Yet, the biggest questions lie within.
Dogging his every thought is the ghost of his former self, a brilliant and dangerous man named Phaedrus, whose obsessive pursuit of truth led to his own destruction. This cross-country odyssey is more than a search for answers; it is a confrontation with a haunting past, a flight for sanity, and a powerful meditation on how we ought to live.
This profound and deeply personal story is an exploration of life's most fundamental questions--a search for how to live, not just how to get by.
- A Father-Son Journey: Across the backroads of America, a man and his eleven-year-old son, Chris, share a motorcycle trip that uncovers the deep, complex, and often fraught bonds between them.
- The Philosophy of Quality: Through a series of philosophical discussions, or Chautauquas, the narrator grapples with the essential nature of what makes something good, from a well-maintained engine to a well-lived life.
- Technology and The Human Spirit: The narrative explores the deep divide between those who run from the cold logic of machines and those who engage with it, seeking a way to unite our rational and creative selves.
- A Divided Self: Haunting the entire journey is the ghost of Phaedrus, a former self the narrator must confront, forcing a reckoning with his own past, his sanity, and the very nature of his identity.
3 different editions
Also available
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values (40th Anniversary Edition)
Robert M. Pirsig
Paperback
Also in
Travel Writing
La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language
Hales, Dianne
Paperback
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance [50th Anniversary Edition]: An Inquiry Into Values
Pirsig, Robert M.
Paperback
Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America
McCarthy, Andrew
Hardcover
Travels with Charley in Search of America: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
Steinbeck, John
Paperback
Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive
Stein, Eliot
Hardcover
Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey Into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon
Rosolie, Paul
Paperback
Pacific Coasting: A Guide to the Ultimate Road Trip, from Southern California to the Pacific Northwest
Kroll, Danielle
Hardcover
One Man's Wilderness, 50th Anniversary Edition: An Alaskan Odyssey
Keith, Sam
Proenneke, Richard Louis
Paperback
East Coasting: The Ultimate Roadtripper's Guide to New England
Dorazewski, Monica
Chitnis, Christine
Hardcover
We Are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam
Moore, Harold G.
Galloway, Joseph L.
Paperback
Wine Pairing for the People: The Communion of Wine, Food, and Culture from Africa and Beyond
McCoy, Cha
Hardcover
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You've Never Noticed
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
The Scenic Route: Following My Inner Compass Across 12 Countries in 12 Months
Aviram, Sarah
Paperback
Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-To-Zion Journey Through Every National Park
Knighton, Conor
Paperback
Street Cats & Where to Find Them: The Most Feline-Friendly Cities and Attractions Around the World
Bogle, Jeff
Hardcover
Cheese Trekking: How Microbes, Landscapes, Livestock, and Human Cultures Shape Terroir
Warmedahl, Trevor
Hardcover
Free Ride: Heartbreak, Courage, and the 20,000-Mile Motorcycle Journey That Changed My Life
Schoenmaker, Noraly
Hardcover
Lonely Planet Women Travel Solo: 30 Inspiring Stories of Adventure, Curiosity and the Power of Self-Discovery
Planet, Lonely
Hardcover
Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America (Large Print Edition)
McCarthy, Andrew
Paperback
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World
Weiner, Eric
Paperback
House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American Southwest
Childs, Craig
Paperback
Belonging to the World: A Journey from Grief to Connection in Every Country on Earth
Hoffner, Barry
Hardcover
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World
Doerr, Anthony
Paperback
Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier
Adams, Mark
Paperback
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance American Classics Edition: An Inquiry Into Values
Pirsig, Robert M.
Paperback
The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country
Russell, Helen
Paperback
All You Need Is Flights: How Kintsugi, Moai, and Volcano Pizza Helped Me Make More Solo Travel Magic
Ruiz, Jen
Paperback
The Secret Knowledge of Water: Discovering the Essence of the American Desert
Childs, Craig
Paperback
The Miracle of Castel di Sangro: A Tale of Passion and Folly in the Heart of Italy
McGinniss, Joe
Paperback
Free Ride: Heartbreak, Courage, and the 20,000-Mile Motorcycle Journey That Changed My Life
Schoenmaker, Noraly
Paperback
Belonging to the World: A Journey from Grief to Connection in Every Country on Earth
Hoffner, Barry
Paperback
Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West
Wickenden, Dorothy
Paperback
Lost on Planet China: One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation
Troost, J. Maarten
Paperback
A Course Called Ireland: A Long Walk in Search of a Country, a Pint, and the Next Tee
Coyne, Tom
Paperback
Long Lost: Three Trails, 8,000 Miles, One Unexpected Journey Across America's Triple Crown
Asars, Tami
Paperback
Sovietistan: Travels in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan
Fatland, Erika
Paperback
Running with the Kenyans: Discovering the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth
Finn, Adharanand
Paperback
Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country: Traveling Through the Land of My Ancestors
Erdrich, Louise
Paperback
The Brendan Voyage: Sailing to America in a Leather Boat to Prove the Legend of the Irish Sailor Saints
Severin, Tim
Paperback
Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes (Warbler Classics Annotated Edition)
Stevenson, Robert Louis
Paperback
Walking the High Desert: Encounters with Rural America Along the Oregon Desert Trail
Waterston, Ellen
Paperback
Walk 12 Months 12 Journeys 1200 Miles: a heartfelt adventure on foot and within
Fennell, Carol
Paperback
The Darién Gap: A Reporter's Journey Through the Deadly Crossroads of the Americas
Fernández, Belén
Hardcover
Peach Street to Lobster Lane: Coast to Coast in Search of Real American Cuisine
Cloake, Felicity
Paperback
Gyoza: The Ultimate Dumpling Cookbook: 50 Recipes from Tokyo's Gyoza King - Pot Stickers, Dumplings, Spring Rolls and More!
Yamamoto, Paradise
Hardcover
Washington Strolls: A Uniquе Walking Guide Through America's Capital City
Corapi, Gene
Paperback