Rating: 
Summary: Defining the indefinable...
Review: There are only a handful of books that have really changed the way I've looked at things; Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird, Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, Julian Jayne's The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bi-Cameral Mind, Ludwig von Mises' Human Action and Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM). Pirsig's book may be the most profound because it not only challenges, but re-labels our entire thought process, challenging many of our most deeply held values. In fact, it's subtitled, (An Inquiry Into Values).Proof that I'm not alone in assessing the impact of ZAMM is the fact that it has remained in print for nearly three decades since it was first published in 1974. That's quite an achievement for a book with such a clunky title - a book whose first publisher warned Pirsig not to expect "much more" than the $5,000 advance because, "works of this kind rarely sell in volume" and whose author readily states up front that it "has little to do with the study of Zen and isn't all that accurate when it comes to motorcycle maintenance either." On the surface, ZAMM is a very simple story about the narrator's cross-country trip on motorcycle with his emotionally troubled son, Chris and their technologically challenged neighbors, John and Sylvia Sutherland. Pirsig wraps a brilliant philosophical analysis of values, in a road story that pits Phaedrus (the narrator's former self) against his current, post-electroshock persona, his son and the techno-phobic Sutherland's. The story unfolds as a series of talks or Chautauquas, in which the narrator explores such topics as "Classical (emphasis on underlying function) Vs Romantic (emphasis on external form)" styles of thinking, "defining quality" and "insanity as a rejection of the accepted mythos" (an idea previously explored by Thomas Szass). Ultimately, Pirsig does nothing less than re-focus the nature and definition of QUALITY. What is it? How do we define the "present" when everything we're conscious of has already happened, been processed and is already a part of the past? Phaedrus looks at quality and notes, "we all know it when we see it, but how is it truly defined? What makes one thing of greater or less "quality" then another?" He comes close to quantifying it in his "Church of Reason Lecture," which starts on page 142 of the original paperback release. Pirsig breaks the world down into two outlooks, Classic (which focuses on the underlying function) and Romantic (which focuses on the outer-lying form). Aesthetics (the study of beauty) is form based or Romantic thinking, while mechanics (the study of how things work) is function based or Classical thinking. He uses this to explain why different people see the same world in very different ways. In this journey he shows the difference between the two as the difference between the narrator's Classical outlook and that of the Sutherland's Romantic one. John and Sylvia both enjoy the look and feel of riding a motorcycle, but despise the mechanical chores of keeping it functioning at top proficiency. John is proud of his shiny, new and very expensive BMW motorcycle, but can't get into the daily maintenance of it. Phaedrus, on the other hand, is primarily attracted to and focused on the underlying form of the motorcycle. He is fascinated with how it works and what causes it to break down. Phaedrus is interested in the mechanics of the bike because he wants to minimize its weaknesses and maximize its effectiveness. The Sutherland's just want to ride, and to avoid at all costs the mechanics of the thing because that's what they're on vacation for - to get away from the mechanistic world. This Classic/Romantic split is important today because it explains all of our contemporary socio-political schisms so well. Emotional thinking is always Romantic, while pragmatic or logical thinking is always Classical. Both sides see only one true way of looking at things and both overlook an important part of the puzzle of life. It's why so many Leftists wear the "bleeding heart liberal" tag as a badge of honor. It feeds their emotionalism. Anything that sounds compassionate, feels good or "helps people," is, to their form based thinking, "good," and people who espouse self-reliance and individual responsibility are, in their view, "mean-spirited, Social Darwinists and well...evil" On the other hand, that's why economic Libertarians and social conservatives see "do-gooder liberals" as "grossly misguided dupes who care nothing for helping people help themselves and as well...evil." It's why, Romantic thinkers rarely use facts. They support their positions on what "feels right," or "fair." It's also why, when emotional Leftists are confronted with facts they don't like, they interpret the data as "angry" or "argumentative." This also explains why Classical thinking Libertarians and Romantic thinking Leftists don't communicate. Classicists deal in pragmatics and facts, while Romantics deal in feelings and appearances. What Pirsig does, is synthesize both Classical and Romantic components into a sort of "unified field theory" of living. He offers a vision of a complete whole - a fusion of logic and emotion, form and function. An ideal whole that we're still very far from. An ideal that cost his narrator, Phaedrus, dearly. Upon reaching Montana, the Sutherland's split and head south, while the narrator and his son head on toward Bozeman, the College town in which the narrator's former self (Phaedrus) taught. As they get closer to Bozeman, the pull of the narrator's former self (Phaedrus) grows stronger and he begins reliving some of the philosophical questions that had brought Phaedrus to the brink of emotional breakdown. The entire book becomes a journey of self-discovery in which the reader comes along for a ride. As the narrator gets in touch with the questions and pursuits of his former life, he realizes that, in order to connect with his son, Chris, he must first confront his former self (Phaedrus). Read it for yourself, it's truly a modern day masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: An allegorical life tale. Fascinating.
Review: To be honest, this book's popularity amazes me. I first read it when it came out in 1974-I was 21 and in college-and, despite the fact I liked the book a lot I couldn't fathom how it ever became a mass market success. Here we are 28 years later and it's in the Top 1000 Amazon sellers. Amazing. Obviously, if you've read previous reviews, you realize this is a divisive book, seen as either revelatory or insipid. The book is heavily philosophical in tone, but at heart it's about finding your allegorical life device. (Had the book been written 20 years later, we'd have used the term paradigm.) For this character, it's motorcycle maintenance. That's not particularly profound, but then, really, not much in life is when you get right down to it. I think a big part of the problem is that people forget this is fiction Admittedly, it's heavily autobiographical and pretentious fiction, but fiction nonetheless. This isn't Bertrand Russell or Kant or Martin Heidegger writing an academic tract meant to profoundly influence the world of philosophical thought. Moreover, anyone who went to college must have somewhere along the line been exposed to a similar character-someone full of his own importance and questions and semi-educated the way undergrads are in philosophy, perpetually blowing his horn. The other thing that never seems to get mentioned that is, to me, a key element that underlies and drives this story is that early on we learn the man has just gotten out of the loony bin having been subjected to electroshock therapy. The man's brains have been artificially addled and he's trying to put things in some sort of order. An allegorical device makes a lot of sense in this context. On the whole this is an entertaining and thought provoking story-the way that, say, Ayn Rand wrote interesting, thought provoking, heavily allegorical yet somewhat unrealistic stories. If you approach the book in that light, I can't see how you can help by enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: You'll either love it or hate it
Review: In grade 12, my English teacher was your quintessential eccentric. Students either loved him or hated him. He always said hate is closer to love than indifference, and given the choice he prefered to have students hate him than not care. Indifference, he said, is the enemy of education Before writing this review I browsed through all 218 existing reviews of this book, and noticed that people have intense views--one way or the other--for ZMM When I first read this (assigned by that same grade 12 teacher) I hated it. I was 17--what do you expect? I picked it up 7 years later and something about the book clicked for me; I couldn't put it down. It remains one of the most influential book of my life There's a lot of criticism of Pirsig in these reviews--he's a bad parent; he doesn't know anything about real philosophy; he talks too much about philosophy; he's a hippie--and on it goes. Some complain that the book ignores "real" philosophical values, or that it doesn't really talk about how to fix a motorcycle. "Real" zen practitioners state Pirsig is not describing "real" zen. Maybe it's just me, but I believe in things like literature and music, the most important criteria for evaluation is whether or not you like it. Clearly there's a wide range of opinion on both sides here. If you're thinking of getting this book be prepared --you might loathe it. If ZMM is required reading for a course you're taking this is a virtual guarantee--I don't think this is a book that should be forced upon anyone. Remember, this book is a NOVEL--the author makes no claim he's writing a textbook on philosopy or that the facts in this story are 100% factual. If you're going to read it it expect to have strong feelings one way or the other. And if you do hate it, try to avoid personally attacking Pirsig --It is possible to hate a book without ascribing this fact to some deep flaw in the author just because you didn't happen to see the world his or her way. I'd like to think that intelligent debate allows people to disagree without having to get personal, but apparently some of the reviewers here need some counselling to get over the fact that they were assigned this book in university, or that they just didn't like it. Personally, I hate wrestling and Barbra Streisand movies and can't understand why anyone would want to watch either--but apparently people do. It's a wide world out there--with still more than one way of seeing things (I hope).
Rating:
Summary: Flight to New Reason
Review: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig
First Published 1974, 25th Anniversary Edition published 1999 by Vantage / Random House
Review by Ian Glendinning, February 2002. ZATAOMM is a journey - at least four in fact - two real in the present, one historical narrative, and one metaphorical. The real-time is in fact some 30 years ago - immediately post-hippy era - the book having been published in 1974. The first journey is a cross-US Motorcycle buddy-ride - Easy Rider without the drug culture. The second is a man-and-boy mountain trek - a physical challenge to find themselves and define their relationship - Ex-hippy Walk in the Woods if you like. The third is Pirsig's historical, and painfully personal, autobiography as a student, a teacher, a husband and a father preceding the real-time narrative. Common people and locations link the first three stories, but the fourth, a philosophical argument is woven into all three. As an experience the book moves quickly - chopping between the various threads - dropping clues and hints at the past events and connections to be revealed later, but always leaving enough doubt and emotional confusion to press on. Whilst several threads do get resolved, with a real-life mix of surprise and anti-climax, several remain wonderfully open ended - no-doubt succeeding in provoking the thoughts Pirsig intended. Practically the motorcycle and its maintenance are archetypes for technology, and the qualities of these are metaphors for the philosophical "virtues". In fact the concept of quality and the ancient debate between rational (logical) and subjective (rhetorical) views of the world are truly the subject of the book. Like Sophie's World the entire book is a vehicle for a serious philosophy text, though unlike that particular best-seller, ZATAOMM provides a gripping and involving story. The emotive power arises from Pirsig's own credentials in philosophical academia as a student and teacher of rhetoric, coupled with the passion and frustration that jumps off the page and grabs the reader by the throat. No surprise to find that Pirsig's schizophrenic alter-ego, Phaedrus, hides a past brush with a mental institution. The frustration of the rational trap, leaving madness as the only apparent escape route is evocative of both Catch-22 and Cuckoo's Nest. For anyone with an interest in the big questions of life, this is a good read. For anyone concerned with making progress in the details of the underlying philosophical debate, it is a text worthy of serious research. Both will find that those threads with uncertain resolution, command at least one re-read. (Reviewers Note: I find myself identifying strongly with the central character, yet when first given this book on an MBA Organisational Behaviour reading list in 1988 I chose not to read it. Now, having read the 25th anniversary edition, I find myself moved by it and regretting that my main thesis did not benefit from it at the time. I am currently conducting research into knowledge modelling.)
Rating:
Summary: A very entertaining philosophical investigation
Review: This is undoubtedly one of the best books available
for the reader who is seeking to broaden their
understanding of basic philosophical issues. Pirsig
is very clever at weaving in and out of complex
investigations into the basic assumptions which tie
down and restrict our thought processes. He does this
by means of a compelling storyline and an accessible
writing style. I read this book in my junior year in
college and it was provided me with more insight to
the foundational questions upon which many belief systems
are based then any other book which I read during college.
Pick it up. This book is for the type of person who enjoys
an intellectual challenge.
Rating:
Summary: An Assignment That Paid Off....
Review: For those of you who have just joined us, this is a review of the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". It was written by Robert M. Pirsig. The book was published by HarperCollins Publishers. Mr. Pirsig also wrote "Lila : an inquiry into morals". Anyways, now to the point. If you are going to read this book, make sure you want to do some serious thinking. If it is big actions sequences that you are looking for; this is a direct hit. However, the action doesn't play out on the pages, instead it is in your head. The book takes place on a trip Mr. Pirsig takes with his child and his friends (His son stays with him the entire time; however, his friends are only around for part of the book). During the trip he thinks of both his past, present, and future. Mr. Pirsig has had a very interesting life to say the least. Pirsig spends much of the book using the motorcycle maintance analogy to relate to your life and how you take on certain tasks. I guarentee this book will change the way you think. I didn't say whether or not that was a good or a bad thing, but it will change the way you think. Many people will find this book to be to dry. The book doesn't have much action as I said before. However, if you go into the book with an open mind you may get a lot out of it. The focal point of this book is your thinking about what is said, and really that would be the only problem. If you don't feel like thinking there are a million other books out there. But if you want to re-access the world around you, sort of put things into perspective, this is your book. I think this book is well worth a look. I was given a list of books to read by my professor and I chose this one (some of my friends had read it). Basically, I know I made the right decision. At first I was a bit weary. I had only a couple days to go and I had barely gotten to the 100th page. I started to turn on the book. Then, in the middle of all my cramming, my view of "when is this damn thing going to end" suddenly changed to "wow...this guy is right.." and when the book ended suddenly seemed to be an imminent downer. When it did finally end I was very happy with my decision to read it and I highly recommend it. I have already suggested it to a few of my friends and I plan to re-read it again shortly.
Rating:
Summary: Adventure ride
Review: What begins as a fairly harmless seeming story becomes more and more of an intellectual adventure as the protagonist rides through America on his motorcycle and shares current thoughts and fragments of his former life. A classic!
Rating:
Summary: Metaphysical inquiry is not supposed to be easy
Review: As to the hinting around mentioned in another review, I can stop that. This book DID change my life. I was headed for a business career in which little if any philosophical discussion would be had. After reading ZEN, I went to college and graduated in philosophy, and am now headed to law school to study ethical political theories. All the "sappiness" of the tale about Chris only made the story readable for me. It did not bore or disgust me. It made the tough-to-chew metaphysics easier to understand and digest. I certainly allow that one not interested in metaphysical concepts would probably not enjoy ZEN, but no one can deny that ZEN has had noticable impact on the lives of many others -- particularly those who reread it. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Impact
Review: This book has fundamentally changed the way I think. Since reading it (2001) I have quit my law degree (undergraduate) and re-applied for various philosophy courses, in order to pursue Pirsig's 'metaphysics of Quality'. I'm not suggesting that the book will have the same effect on anyone who reads it, but it will nevertheless challenge your preconceptions and I think that my experience should give rise to at least a little curiosity.....
Rating: 
Summary: Pay Attention
Review: This book taught me to "pay attention when life goes awry." In some ways, this is a mysterious book because it is not so much fiction as it is the author's life. Not your average sort of book - it's wise, honest and solid. I also highly recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold. Excellent.
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