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Summary: This Pirsig Book Should Be On Everyone's Reading List
Review: This enlightening book is as valuable today as when it was first published. I was not surprised that literature and philosophy professors at my alma mater, The University of Michigan, required their students to read Pirsig's best book in the 1970's when it was published. I am not in the least surprised that the book remains in print today, and is earning new admirers. Readers must bring to this classic the patience and attentiveness that it deserves and they will be richly rewarded.
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Summary: At least a curiosity, at best a life-changing experience
Review: I had to read this book for school. So I (of course) thought it would be horrible. It wasn't, and this is a title that every half-conscious human being should read at some point. Granted, you do have to work to "get" it, don't listen to everyone who says it's a dull book. They're all busy rushing over to buy Stephen King and John Grisham books
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Summary: Phaedrus is your mommy
Review: If you're like me you like hearing from some good old fashioned nut balls, and boy is Robby a nut! The story is fun and the commentaries on philosophy and zen will blow your mind. But let it be blown! Let your mind splatter against the wall, scrape em off, stick em back in the ol head and start reading backwards! Don't listen to the drapchodes who gave this book low ratings if you don't love it I will personally send you ten thousand dollars....actually no wait that's a bad idea. But I will send you a greek translation of the book, I hope that helps. PS do not expect this translation to arive anytime soon
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Summary: Yawn
Review: I don't know if it's the philosophical subject matter, the slow pace of the prose or the motorcycle theme, but I kept actually falling asleep while reading this book! It must be rewarding to finish it, but I am afraid I will never get there because it's just not worth my time.
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Summary: What Philosophy is All About
Review: Suppose that I were to try to describe this book to someone who was a philosophy professor, an expert in some German philosophers, a critic of Nietzsche who considered Nietzsche's psychology as prominently as his philosophy in matters of religion; there was no way that I could say anything better than in the words of this book itself. I had been reading a lot of philosophy the way my father had before he became a minister, like it is taught in college. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was the perfect focus for the complaint that any philosophy can only be a way of trying to graduate carbon copies of someone. The real person comes through at the end, where I like to start things rolling with the sentence, "It's so hot . . ."
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Summary: What an amazing book
Review: I tried to read ZAMM years ago and didn't get past the first chapter. My mindset was impatient and I wasn't prepared to think about the issues he was raising. One of Pirsig's classic gumption traps, I guess.Something told me to try it again, so I checked out a copy of the original edition from the library. I just finished the book and now I'm buying my own copy. Prisig is one of those rare authors who can express emotions so subtly and naturally that you actually feel them rather than just read about them. He also has a remarkable way of blending the past, the present and the deep thoughts of two distinct points of view into one smoothly flowing narrative. Just when things might start to drag he switches gears (no pun intended) and lets us all just ride along for a while. This isn't the type of book that everyone will read straight through, or that everyone will appreciate right away. And there's really no reason to force it: Put it down, come back later, read back over the part you didn't quite get. There's no hurry. And when you finally arrive at the destination, the end of that cross-county motorcycle ride, and contemplate the remarkable ideas you've picked up along the way you'll smile, think back, and realize how much you enjoyed the trip. -Bryan
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Summary: Why is this book so popular?
Review: Perhaps this book is so popular because of the timing of when it was published and since then it has run on its own momentum. In any case, to the curious reader, be prepared for an unoriginal, mostly dry, dull book. If one wants and intro to Philosophy, one would do better to read Durant's "The Story of Philosophy", Russell's "History of Western Philosophy", or nearly any intro to philosophy written by someone qualified to speak on the subject. The attribute lacking in the author of "Zen" is humility. He seems to think that any pedestrian insight he has is original with him. He does not seem to be aware of even the basics of western philisophical thought. Although he apparently has had much classroom instruction on the matter, maybe he doesn't listen well, or he can't give credit to others for having ideas also. On the positive side he has a few good analogies, but these are few and far between. If the point of the book is that "quality" is a mysterious word because its difficult to define, that's true of many words, try to define "the" or "of". Is his point we should not always chose quantity over quality? Oh ,please! That is hardly an original idea. The author and his fans seem to believe that any idea that crosses his mind is worthy of worldwide attention. A dialogue on philosophy has been going on for hundreds of years, and many very bright people have contributed their thoughts. It is very naive and arrogant to imagine that one's own thoughts would revolutionize the subject (although that is what every barroom know-it-all believes). Professing one's adoration for this book only gives away one's ignorance.
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Summary: Thought Provoking
Review: If I have to describe this book in two words, I would describe it as "Thought Provoking". If I try to attempt to say anything more about this book, I am sure I would fail. There are parts of the book which didn't make sense to me immediately. I still don't know if I have understood it completely. But I am happy that it made me think and get a new perspective about certain things.
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Summary: Zentastic
Review: Ever realise just how accessible high thought is. O.K. so it's not that easy, but people who can't digest other philosophical literature might find insight here. Pirsig makes a good cas for the reasons for the division between classical and romantic, and his ideas on quality are worth reading. He even tells a good story. But the beauty of it is that it may make you feel excited about thinking. Isn't the phrase "the high country of the mind" and inspiring one. It made me excited about thinking and understanding the world all over again, although it didn't bring me that close to achieving it. And it might make you enthusiastic about motorcycles, too.
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Summary: CONTEMPLATIONS OF THE MAVERICK MYSTIC!
Review: It would indeed be a sacrilage if one goes about talking on ZAAMM without dwelling on the cover page itself...here we find the symbolic representation of the work in its entiriety...a spanner head at one end and a flower(white) at the other end > the spanner symbolises this era of technological and scientific advances...the rational facet of our reality!The flower at the other end represents the emotional/spiritual aspect of our reality... the combination of both makes it an interplay of polar opposites....and it is this conflict Pirsig resolves in a masterly way!...It is indeed possible to be scientific and at the same time spiritual...and this is the way to evolve at the inner level in this age of paradigm shifts! Though Pirsig starts with the description of a cross country bike ride with his curious son.. the journey soon becomes an amazing spiritual odyssey of a man in search of himself.. the route maps without charts the pathways within..the very motorcycle becomes the extention of the rider...and here the inanimate assumes the soulfulness of Life itself!...I'm just reminded of a brilliant short story "Inside and Outside" by Hermman Hesse that gives immense insight into the sprit lurking within ZAAMM! Surely, Pirsig talks much like our fellow pilgrim on our journey towards light...the inner light...call it "QUALITY" or "SELF"...his gleamings from the way side becomes our lamp posts ..and soon we realize that the path we tread outside is the very path we closed within...and the musings of this maverick mystic knocks that door open...! ZAAMM is a modern scripture for this millennium!
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