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Summary: For Your Childrens' Childrens' Children
Review: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is, primarily, nothing less than an explanation of the actual nature of the process of a sentient entity interacting with physical reality. Within the book, Mr. Pirsig "labels" this process as Quality.To understand this work's breadth, interlace the above with an impossibly frank and human self-examining account of a lost father, tenderly cradling the damaged mind of his son, on a cross-America motorcycle odyssey. Introduce a haunting spectre from a terrifying past reality; an inscrutable horror, ever so slightly out of sight, but roiling into a recognizable truth. To this already writhing brocade add a nose-to-nose staredown with madness, at a mind-shaking level of lucidity. Incorporate the tragedy of a shattered family. Then interweave these components into a vast streaming scroll encompassing ancient thought, the absolute edge of human understanding, morality, family, society (East and West), and the meaning and power of love. This is an offering from the humble yet utterly fantastic mind of Mr. Robert Pirsig. Make no mistake, this book is a tall task, with the unavoidable frustrations of lost channels of thought (yours, not his), seemingly bottomless vessels of philosophical exploration, and a knowledge that you are, for a time, as one with a soaring intellect. The reward is a thunderous quiet; a fast-fading visit to a realm of laser definition. Mr. Pirsig will melt your heart, electrify your mind and recolor forever how you look at everything. It is one of those incredibly rare books which you will read again and again, every few years, just to re-establish contact with that awesome multi-dimensional clarity, Mr. Pirsig's trademark. I have owned likely 20 copies of this book. I don't have one now, so I am buying more here. I don't know why, I just keep giving them away. Many people I know do the same. If the book eludes you the first or second time, set it aside and pick it up again in a few months. You will align with it in time. And there will come a time when you will look at your children, then grandchildren and say, "I have something for you; something wonderful." Oh, one more small thing: "Lila" is as good, maybe better. It is a brush with the universe. I would, however, counsel all to read "Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance" first. Its a great primer.
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Summary: Everchanging and timeless
Review: I read this book every now and then since I was 17. Every time I find new meanings, angles and metaphores. This book is different every time because you are different every time. I like the way it juggles three or four storylines at the same time weaving them perfectly. You need to be in the right state of mind to read it, if not, it's just confusing and just plain difficult. I highly recommend it to anyone with an open mind ready to look at things in different light. It perfectly brings the modern way of thought about science and art into perspective. It transmits the simplicity of beauty and the role quality plays in every decision we make. Definetly a must.
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Summary: Most Valuable
Review: This is the most valuable book I've ever read. It gets to the soul of our society's thrust toward specialization instead of applying a Renaissance approach to the totality of our brains and spirits. Art and science can coexist peacefully and harmoniously if we let go and live them.
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Summary: Quality Discovered
Review: This book is a timeless classic. It is an easy read in most places and you'll be cruising down the highway enjoying the scenery. But hold on to your helmet. Pirsig is brilliant and will take you so deep into thought that you may take a day or two on a single page if you care enough,that is, to learn a lot about what Quality is.
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Summary: A review of the book and the other reviews
Review: After reading about 1/2 of the 170+ comments on this book i see two types, those who soaked in Pirsig's point of view, and those who read it specifically for the philosophical (or is it psychological) worth. The former were tromendously satisfied and the latter were not so. After reading the book two and a half times (first as required reading in a Psychology course) i felt it necissary to expound my views on it. The first time through i was reading for content and answers for quiz material - i truly missed the spirit of the book, the underlying truth that was presented by a confused and enlightened man. Once the pressure was over, i read it as Phaedrus would have - line by line. I started mulling over the unknowns and unanswerables that were presented and i found that the voice of the book was the voice of my proverbial soul - i had believed what the book presented before i read it which is just as confusing and bewildering as my mind and the world. It made me understand that truth is not always rational, what is rational is not always right, and what is right not always the truth. The crux, I believe, is that this book is meant for those who are seeking something more, and those who are forced into reading it, or read it merely because it was suggested will not truly get out of it what is intended - a bit of enlightenment that proves how unenlightened our world and ourselves are.
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Summary: A truly meaningful book
Review: Some readers don't get what this book is about. The main point that I took from it is that I matter; That quality is a two way street defined by the interaction between subject and object. It is also a great read! THE most important book I have read, and I try to read the classics. It also lead me (15 years later) to read Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching." This is not a book, it is a journey that can change your life...if you're ready for it.
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Summary: My suggestion: Buy it now
Review: I am 33 years old and first read this book when I was a junior at college in 1986. I majored in English and have been an avid reader for years. At first, I was put off by the title, but decided to read the book anyway. I am glad I did. Robert Pirsig's book deals with quality and his book is a wonderful, solid example of quality writing. For me, Mr. Pirsig's discussion of quality forever altered the meaning of this word. Like others, I can say the book changed my life.
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Summary: Not 5 star, more like 5 Tera-star
Review: This book is the most impressive, encouraging, moving, inspiring book I have read thus far (I'm 31). It's not difficult. It's just big. It covers a gigantic range. Word up, people...the motorcycle journey is a frame for the interesting stuff, and allows us a short break while we process. They start low, running away. They climb. The climb gets tougher, then tops out with a gods-eye view of NOT the world as in planet Earth, but of life, the universe and everything. Too much for mere mortals such as us puny humans to endure, so what goes up must come down. Reach journey's end, and it's time to turn round and go home. And so the cycle (no double meaning intended) continues. Pirsigs message is, I think, this; the ultimate metaphysical truth is beyond our understanding - that is why it ('Quality') must be held undefined. Pursue it with our feeble mental capacities, and you will be declared insane (that's what happened to Pirsig, he was institutionalised, and got BIG voltage to the frontal lobes). The best advice he can give us after surviving this experience and, incredibly, still being able to write, is use your own judgement - 'What is good, Phaedrus, and what is not good - Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?' Nobody's ideas, notions, beliefs are absolutely true, they are all relatively true; relative to when we are, where we are, who we are. E=mc2.I'm sorry not everybody loves the book, but I cannot tell them they're wrong. Abandon shallow ego goals and open your mind to the sound of one hand clapping. Art & science aren't opposed opposites, they are both useful tools when you understand what they can do. Robert, thank you for your loving gift of this book. You will always live in my heart.
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Summary: wow.
Review: i'm happy that i finally read this book. i'm not one to suggest things that other people should do but everyone should probably read this book before doing anything else=).
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Summary: A must read!
Review: I was wary of this book at first glance, I saw it in a used book store and figured, hell, it's only 50 cents. I wouldn't take but enough to get a new one if anyone tried to buy it from me. The Author tells of a cross country trip with 2 friends and hs son, continually pondering life itself and likening the human mind to a motorcycle, and how best to maintain it. Theres even an ironic ending that totally threw me back. If you're interested in Bhudism or have been studying it for a long time, this book is easy to understand and the author provides the material in an easy to follow format.
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