Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M. Pirsig

I was walking home past my favorite second hand bookshop and i decided to pop in to find something interesting to read. Well that or to not do actual university reading, but thats irrelevant anyway. Scanning through the shelves i saw a name that was familiar 'zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance', slightly confused as to what topics this book would cover i opened the cover and written on the inside of the cover was written 'David, Merry Christmas'. This did not help as my name is neither david and nor was is christmas. On a whim i payed the princely sum of £3. I have to say while a very interesting book to read, it is not necessarily an easy read. Without ...  Read the complete review

" The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there. Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value. " I have a confession to make...at the risk of making myself look stooopid. The thing is, I'm still not 100% sure whether this book is a novel or not - it's listed here on dooyoo under biography, but how autobiographical is it? And it's very difficult to categorize a book about motorcycles, mental illness and philosophy. Libraries shelve it in all ...  Read the complete review

This is a dense book and, as the author warns at the beginning, is not really about zen or about motorcycle maintenance. Essentially it is about one man's struggle to keep functional in all aspects of his life. The story unfolds during a cross-country motorcycling holiday, which he is taking with his young son and some friends. He finds it a challenge to communicate with the son sometimes, and his friends annoy him with their inconsistencies and tendency to store up trouble for themselves. Perhaps more vitally, this story is interspersed with the story of his past as a teacher. Told as if about a different person, which in a sense ...  Read the complete review