A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions on how to live. The narrator's relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reckoning; the craft of motorcycle maintenance leads to an austerely beautiful process for reconciling science, religion, and humanism. Resonant with the confusions of existence, this classic is a touching and transcendent book of life.
This new edition contains an interview with Pirsig and letters and documents detailing how this extraordinary book came to be.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
“A miracle . . . sparkles like an electric dream.” -The Village Voice
“Profoundly important...full of insights into our most perplexing contemporary dilemmas.” -New York Times
“An unforgettable trip.” -Time
“It is filled with beauty. . .a finely made whole that seems to emanate from a very special grace.” -Baltimore Sun
“The book is inspired, original. . . . The analogies with Moby-Dick are patent.” -The New Yorker