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Summary: Don't loan it to a friend- you'll never get it back.
Review: I've had to buy 3 copies of this book. The first two were loaned to friends who never returned them. Yes, it's a great book. It's not about Zen or motorcycles. It is about quality, values, and relationships.I first read ZMM 18 years ago, at age 17. Since then, I've been impressed by 3 things about the book: 1)It's one of those books that you can pick up after not touching for 5 years, and end up spending hours rereading sections on a rainy afternoon. 2) It's one of those books that when you meet someone who also read & loved it, and then discuss it with them, it always seems that they got something different out of it than you did. 3) You can pick it up after not reading it for 10 years, re-read it, and it's as though you've just read a completely different book. Many reviewers here have stated that reading the book changed their lives. I read it at a pretty impressionable time, so I can't say as how my life would've been different if I hadn't read it. I do believe though that reading the book did teach me at least one absolute truth: There are two types of people in the world- people who love ZMM, and people who "just don't get it". If I'm ever marooned on an island with one other person, I pray it's one of the former.
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Summary: An excellent dig into the philosophy of philosophy.
Review: An excellent dig into the philosophy of philosophy. Zen has a great discussion of a man in search of the qualities of life, both classic and romantic.
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Summary: On Quality:
Review: The fact that more than 120 people have spent their time sitting at their computers and reviewing the 'good' and 'bad' of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance not only proves that the book's philosophical meandering about "Quality" - which eventually leads to several different points about the essence of experience and life itself is fairly right-on, but that, as in the book itself, Quality is dictated (when intellectually reviewed) by a person's background and preconceptions. This unique viewpoint as well as the grace with which it is reached (motorcycle trips, mountain hikes...et cetera) is enough to make it a worthwhile and brilliant read.
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Summary: A Book That Shaped who I am today!!!
Review: I read this book during my first year of college. And I could not believe what I was reading. This book is truly a masterpiece, and one which I recommend to all who want to read a good, thoughtful book. It also spurred me on to look at who I am as a person and determine where my interests were at the time. It is amazing how a book made me feel so free within the confinds of my dorm room. This book is worth reading if nothing else than to enjoy/experience a very different writing style and topic. ENJOY!
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Summary: Religion, Art, Science, and more!
Review: This book is definitely one of the most interesting I have ever read. It expands on many ideas and unifies areas (Religion, Art, and Science) that aren't commonly thought of as connected. Pirsig's talent and intelligence are quite amazing. These are definitely some important ideas. I highly recommend it! Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: So-So
Review: This book is fairly well-written and somewhat thought-provoking in places. However, it also feels quite dated, self-important, and boring. I was excited to read it, but was ultimately disappointed. It's not that it's bad...it's just not good.
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Summary: what's all the fuss about?
Review: What a disappointment.This book was recommended to me by a workmate. I stuck with it to the end but I'm sorry I did as it never improved. I won't be reading Lila, that's for sure.
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Summary: Where is the Quality in science and technology?
Review: If you are thinking of reading this book there are some things you should know right off. 1. This is not a book about Buddhism, or Zen. It explores the ways in which eastern philosophies can help western thinkers move toward Quality. 2. This book covers a lot of ground, very quickly and is not a philosophical textbook. If you don't know much about philosophy, this book will not change that fact, but it will make you question a lot of the assumptions you have made. 3. This book will change your life! This book is about Quality. If you have read the Tao Te Ching, you have already read a book which attempts to explain Quality. It is the unnamable, the One. Pirsig asks us to question whether science and logic can really bring us closer to the "Truth." Ever since Socrates began using the dialectic to try to discover Truth, humans have been on a quest to find it. The tool we use is known as scientific method. We have been using scientific method for a long time, and it has given us a lot of useful knowledge. It has not, however, brought us any closer to finding an absolute Truth, which is true for everyone everwhere. Quality is undefinable. It comes before thought, and before actions. Any attempt at describing it is useless, because as soon as you attempt to categorize it, you are only talking about one aspect of it. What Pirsig does in this book, is attempt to show us ways that we can use Quality in our lives. He calls his main character Phaedrus. Which comes from Plato's dialogue by the same name. Reading this dialogue will help you immensely in following the arguments he presents. Don't be fooled by this into thinking that Pirsig is a Platonist. Phaedrus was a Sophist, as is the Phaedrus in this book. Neither the historical Sophists, or Pirsig, buy into Plato's concept of absolute "Truth." If you are at all interested in the ideas of subjectivity and the influence of location (in time and space) as it relates to philosophical, religious and scientific claims, this book will greatly interest you. If you're a "post-modernist" you've probably already read this book, and if not, this book will help you to crystallize a lot of your objections to Modernism. If you feel that the world is becoming more and more empty and hollow, and think that part of your basic humanity has been stolen by alarm clocks, concrete, automobiles, and (can I say it?) computers, this book may help you in finding the Quality that resides within technology, yet is so often ignored by those who wield technology like a biological weapon. If you've ever thought that the whole world was crazy, and want to learn more about what really makes a person "insane," you should know that this book is written from the perspective of an insane man. If you are searching for answers, this book will give you a few more questions, and help you realize that life is about the questions, not the answers!
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Summary: Interesting read
Review: First off, if you enjoy philosophy and introspective writing you will find this book difficult to put down as that is entirely what it is. Now, if you need dead bodies, alien invasions, or journeys to retrieve the holy grail then you will not enjoy this book. Prisig's story is interesting and his quirky personal insights and observations are what keep the book moving. Much of the material about the motorcycle trip I found quite boring and unrelated to his internal journey. Prisig's genuine interest in philosophy is evident in his content and is readily digested because of his economical use of language. There is no verbose pretentious grand standing in his writing. I really was interested in the gradual revelations about his life and his relationships with his friends past and present. Don't expect to find any answers here, just enjoy the ride.
Rating: 
Summary: An over-rated and disappointing work
Review: When I studied philosophy at university, it was exciting and dynamic, and opened my eyes and mind in ways I'd never thought possible. Imagine my disappointment, therefore, when I read this highly-acclaimed work. Having heard so much about it, I wanted to like it, I really did, but, oh dear. All I can say is I'm glad Mr Pirsig wasn't one of my university tutors, for, barring a couple of passages, he succeeds only in turning a wonderful area of human experience into a cure for insomnia. I'll come back to 'Zen...' again some time in the future and hope for better things, but, for the time being, I have to consign it to my 'Most Disappointing Books' pile.
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