Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is not just for gearheads, though. A thoughtful reflection on philosophy, ranging from the ancient Greeks to Taoism, is woven throughout the story. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values is a book by Robert M. Pirsig first published in 1974. It is a work of fictionalized autobiography and the first of Pirsig's texts in which he explores his concept of Quality. The title is an apparent play on the title of the 1948 book Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel. One of the most influential books written in the past half-century, Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a powerful examination of how we live and a breathtaking meditation on how to live better. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is not about traditional Zen, although Pirsig was clearly inspired by Zen Buddhism. His philosophical investigations began through teaching English composition to college students and asking himself the simple question of what made writing good. 3.78. 227,445 ratings10,436 reviews. Robert M. Pirsig's Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is an examination of how we live, a meditation on how to live better set around the narration of a summer motorcycle trip across America's Northwest, undertaken by a father & his young son. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance references the Sanskrit doctrine of Tat Tvam Asi ("Thou art that"), which asserts an existential monism as opposed to the subject-object dualism. [1] Development The Metaphysics of Quality originated with Pirsig's college studies as a biochemistry student at the University of Minnesota. .

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