|
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (Mass Market Paperback) (平装)
by Robert Pirsig
| Category:
Philosophy, Meaning of Life, Non-fiction |
| Market price: ¥ 108.00
MSL price:
¥ 88.00
[ Shop incentives ]
|
| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
An essential reading for those in search of broader intellectual, philosophical, and spiritual vistas. |
| If you want us to help you with the right titles you're looking for, or to make reading recommendations based on your needs, please contact our consultants. |
|
| |
AllReviews |
1 2   | Total 2 pages 12 items |
|
|
George Steiner (The New Yorker) (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-31 00:00>
It lodges in the mind as few recent novels have...The book is inspired, original...the narrative tact, the perfect economy of effect defy criticism. The analogies with Moby Dick are patent. Robert Pirsig invites the prodigious comparison. What more can one say? |
|
|
The New York Times (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-31 00:00>
Profoundly important... full of insights into our most perplexing contemporary dilemmas... It is intellectual entertainment of the highest order. |
|
|
Gary Larson (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-31 00:00>
I'm compelled to write this review after browsing the others, because something has to be said about book that isn't being pointed out for someone who is interested in the book for the first time.
At this point, this book can be found on the front table in your local bookstore. Other philosophy books can be found in the philosophy section either collecting dust, or being perused by someone intensely interested in philosophy who is well versed in debates that have gone on for centuries.
I have listened to the author, Robert Pirsig, being interviewed, and it seems that he did, in fact, intend for this book and its premise of "Quality" to be the great, all encompassing philosophy, presented in a straightforward, readable manner. However, despite Pirsig's intention, that is not quite why this book has become so famous.
This book is famous because it fills a perfect niche in that it introduces some very complicated philosophical questions in a form that the common reader will find interesting. Pirsig is attempting to create a practical philosophy and sets the book against the background of actual experience to make the questions he ponders real for the reader.
With that in mind, if you are not clamoring for a debate with someone else who is knowledgeable on the ins and outs of Kierkegaard and Spinoza and are simply looking for a readable book that makes a real attempt of answering the big questions in life, this book is for you.
What I find interesting, and somewhat disturbing, is that many choose to deride this book because it doesn't agree with their notions of philosophy, but fail to grasp that the people who are most likely to read this book won't even be at the table to understand their objections to it unless they read it.
Probably no book has ever been more successful in interesting people in philosophy in the first place. So why are people who are interested in the subject eager to send them away because it disagrees with something they read in some banal tome?
Bottom line, if you ran across this book at your local bookshop or had it recommended to you by a friend, you must read it. It is an awesomely thought inspiring book and asks questions you never thought to ask or at least didn't know how to put your finger on. It's both a good novel and a great introduction to philosophy for people who have an interest in greater questions but not all the time to pursue them. I don't think you should worry about the fact that someone with a Masters Degree in Philosophy, or an equivalent knowledge, is bothered by the book. Also, I wouldn't be thrown by the title. The book isn't trying to sell you a newsletter or convert you to any church (despite the use of the phrase "The Church of Reason") and is only using a bit of Zen philosophy as a grounding for its premise.
Pirsig's premise does have a tendency to never be overtly stated, but I believe that he does this because he doesn't want it overly simplified in the way I'm about to do it.
Pirsig's premise is that we live in a world of both the "Classical" and "Romantic" or, as I'll simplify it, "form" and "function", respectively. Pirsig sees the problems in our world as the result of an overemphasis on form, when function is more essential. However, pure "function" has problems of its own. For example, our bodily organs carry out the function of allowing us to live, but one doesn't really desire for our skin to be translucent so we can watch these functions. In fact, we would have a revulsion to such a thing. Therefore, we have a combination of both of "form" and "function"; our organs work very well without our having to see them. This is the desirable state. This desirable state is called "Quality". Good "function" seems to bring about its own desirable "form". May the decorative towel be damned. That's grossly oversimplified, but there it is.
Finally, one shouldn't be thrown off Pirsig's premise by the fact that, quite frankly, he tends to be an impatient father and not very easy to get along with. While reading the book, it becomes apparent that Pirsig is sharing this with us because he is oblivious to it himself. He makes it obvious that he doesn't understand why no one is pondering the philosophical implications of repairing a motorcycle or why his young son isn't arriving at all of the conclusions he is, despite the fact his son is eleven. He seems to be trapped in the context of his own view of the world.
So, if you want to wade your way through all of the pontificating, please take the time to read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". If you really, really like it, then you can debate with the philosophy majors. |
|
|
Bob Dekle (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-31 00:00>
Anyone with moderate intelligence and sufficient leisure can work out their own private philosophy. The worth of such a philosophy should not be measured by comparison to the great philosophers of the past (or present); rather we should ask how well does it assist its creator in coping with life. Some personal philosophies are crafted in such a way that they help, not just their creator, but large numbers of their creator's fellow beings. Thus it is with the personal philosophy of Robert M. Pirsig, who laments that he has not had an original thought in years.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance recounts a semi-mythical motorcycle trip from Chicago to California in which Pirsig confronts and defeats his inner demons and repairs his shattered relationship with his eldest son, Chris. With a past of involuntary hospitalization, a present of recurring nightmares, and a future of anticipated return to commitment, Pirsig rides the roads, introspects, and works on his relationship with his son.
Pirsig's former self, whom he calls Phaedrus, went mad attempting to work out the meaning of the abstract concept of quality; his current self totters on the brink of madness attempting to achieve a quality relationship with his son.
The book covers thousands of miles of countryside and thousands of years of Western philosophy, from Chicago to California, from the Academy to academia. Although the word Zen figures prominently in the title, and although Buddha is mentioned more than Socrates, the philosophy partakes far more of the tradition of the "Iliad" than of the "Bhagavad-gita."
Pirsig should not despair over his inability to formulate original ideas. Qoheleth wrote that "there is nothing new under the sun," and centuries later Omar Khayyam echoed that thought. Pirsig's chosen field of rhetoric recognizes man's basic lack of originality. The first of the five departments of rhetoric is Invention, the devising of arguments. An alternative name for that department is Discovery. The rationale for this alternate name is that the rhetorician does not "invent" arguments, all the arguments already been invented. The rhetorician simply discovers the best arguments for the case at hand. The rhetorician's originality is expressed, not in the department of Invention/Discovery, but in the department of Arrangement. How well are the arguments organized?
Pirsig may not have expressed any original ideas in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but he has arranged those ideas in (for the 1970's) a fresh, original way. The enduring success of the book attests to Pirsig's creative genius. |
|
|
Jay Menon (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-31 00:00>
Essentially this book is a treatise on a man's ardent search for himself, which has been lost somewhere in the shadows of an obscure past. The theme opens up and is nourished by the first person account of an intense journey undertaken by him on his motorcycle across parts of mainland America. Throughout the course of his journey, he analyses, with passion, and he reasons, without inhibitions; and he raises forth some of the most fundamental questions appertaining to human existence and human action. And brilliantly, he provides answers to most of them; sometimes citing instances of motorcycle maintenance (he reasons that a motorcycle can quite relevantly depict the mechanism of rationality and human life; so the art of motorcycle maintenance is essentially the art of running the machine of the human mind), sometimes citing tenets of the ancient Zen religion and at other times by employing his own irrefutable arguments. Very aptly paced, the book builds up its tempo as it proceeds and ultimately culminates in an intense climax (of course, not a dramatic one!). This book has to be devoured slowly, word by word, argument by argument, and one will certainly get more than involved. Certainly not for the purpose of frivolous reading, this book is meant for those who are at least somewhat into heavy reading. The author's arguments and criticisms in this book are sharp, appealing, and set on a terra firma of awe-inspiring logic; his narratives are intensely passionate and his philosophies brilliant and thought provoking. This book might provide answers to some of the questions that may have been tormenting one's mind since long, or, perhaps, not strangely though, it might raise in one's mind more questions that it would ever be able to answer. |
|
|
An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-31 00:00>
This unusual story of Phaedrus is centered around the idea that the fundamental and primary substance of the universe is quality, and the only thing that exists. Thus, quality creates everything and that which is not quality doesn't exist. Except for the way it has been presented, this is identical to philosophical monism, and so suffers from the problems of all monisms : that of the problem of explaining the existence of evil. If we admit that evil exists then according to this thesis, it must be created by quality, and thus evil too is quality or else it does not exist. As in all other monisms, this one too ends up explaining nothing, only making way for a "Quality" cult or religion. In the story, however, there are traces of quality. As the title goes, even motorcycle maintenance requires a touch of art and just as for any art, needs caring. The better part of the book is about this: the need to care; what you do and how you do it. Which is also what Zen is about: a total involvement in and attention to whatever is being done. The development of the quality concept does serve as a reminder to hard core science buffs that the measurable quantity that science presumes as the only substance of the universe, is the actual ephemeral ghost that haunts science and gnaws at the very foundations of western civilization. But his analysis of the problems in his culture are not only way off mark, but also misleading, as is his conclusion about the turning point in western culture. The difficulty is compounded by his attitude of certainty about his beliefs, which he presumes must be and have to be accepted by all. This borders on his being almost fanatical about his beliefs, which makes his philosophy a closed one and not an open inquiry. |
|
|
An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-31 00:00>
It is no easy task to make a book interesting. Even when writing about events of great interest, a poor writer can make an event of great moment about as interesting as doing one's taxes. How much harder is it, then, to write a book about philosophy and make it not only interesting, but a page-turner? For that accomplishment alone, Robert Pirsig deserves great praise. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a marvelous read that I tore through in a matter of days, so interested was I in the story Pirsig was telling. The technique he uses to discuss philosophy, a 'Chautauqua' conducted in the confines of the first-person narrator's thoughts as he takes a motorcycle trip with his son, is beautifully done and makes the book a fascinating read.
I'll start with a complaint, if only because the problem occurs at the start of the book. This edition is a reprint and includes some additional commentary by the author at the front. Unfortunately, that commentary reveals several rather crucial plot details, so the reader loses some of the surprise he might otherwise feel as various secrets are revealed. I'd recommend the new reader avoid the foreword until after he's finished the work, as I think I would have enjoyed the work even more if I had had to puzzle out just what was happening in the background.
Having said that, the book is still a great read. Pirsig's writing style is clean and evocative, drawing the reader into the semi-fictional world Pirsig uses as the backdrop of his Chautauqua. By moving back and forth from the events of the story and the backstory, Pirsig establishes two compelling narratives, which is part of what makes the book so difficult to put down. A good story tells a single tale that makes you eager to learn what happens next. Pirsig offers two tales, and they're both told well enough to draw the reader in and make each page a pleasure.
Philosophical purists may well complain that, by embedding his discussions of philosophy in stories, Pirsig buries the point of the narrative. I can understand that complaint, but I think it's unfounded. How Pirsig tells the story helps to illustrate his philosophical points as well as any more conventional philosophy text could manage, particularly as the book is written in such a way that it's easy for the reader to place himself in the author's place.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is unlikely to give the reader a great deal of insight into either Zen or the art of motorcycle maintenance, unless the reader is already reasonably familiar with the subjects. What it does instead is far more entertaining, offering a new and different way of looking at the world and how we live our lives. |
|
|
Laurent Grenier (MSL quote), Canada
<2006-12-31 00:00>
A couple of years ago, an editor (whom I had hired to help give my book A Reason for Living a final polish before publication) wrote to me a heartening letter of appreciation, the last part of which steered me very propitiously onto Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig. The half autobiographical, half philosophical nature of my book apparently reminded him of Mr. Pirsig's work. Now that I have read this remarkable work, I see the connection, both at the level of style and content, and confessedly delight in it. There is hope after all for a book that daringly challenges mainstream literary categories or straddles two of them by blending a personal epic with extensive philosophical insights.
What above all took a firm hold on my attention is the author's perspective of the nature of reality; that is, our human reality, which is the only one to which we have access. His entire discourse about Quality - as the very core of our lives that bridges the divide between art and science - is definitely on target, smack in the middle. It scores all the more points with me as I myself buck at every materialistic worldview that is blind to its spiritual foundation.
By spiritual foundation I mean the human spirit behind every human endeavor, including scientific ones. In fact, reality as we know it is nothing but a spiritual reality, again in the sense that it is all happening between our two ears in the form of sensations and thoughts, and that it is suffused with feelings and value judgments that constitute the heart of the matter. Furthermore, strictly speaking, reality as we know it is nothing but the spiritual reality peculiar to each of us as individuals. The assumption that part of it (the part that concerns other people and things, distinguishable from ourselves) refers to a reality that exists independently of us is precisely that, an assumption, and a metaphysical one to boot, if also reasonable. A less reasonable assumption would be that other people and things, distinguishable from ourselves, are an illusion, a dream or a nightmare depending on how we look at it - a mere extension of ourselves that proceeds from some mysterious principle that inheres in our spirits.
Needless to say, the assumption that the world reasonably distinguished from ourselves can be limited to our perception of it or can amount to a "material" aggregate of microscopic things is not only metaphysical in the extreme; it is laughably fantastical or at least indefensibly presumptuous and narrow. Indeed, the idea that something can be exclusively "material," when our reality is exclusively spiritual, is bordering on the insane for it is devoid of a rational basis. I would go so far as to say that our scientific culture, chockablock of "material" descriptions that are supposed to reveal the alpha and omega of the universe, is fit for the loony bin (this point is particularly ironic because it is also made by Mr. Pirsig, who spent considerable time at the asylum, as though it were him whose mind was derailed). The word "material" simply refers to the world of appearances, and any person endowed with common sense knows that appearances are superficial and can be deceiving, or that people - us included - and things far exceed them. Quite frankly, so-called primitive cultures that indulged in a naive form of animism were certainly closer to the truth than those among scientists who are so intellectually blinkered that they believe there is nothing more to the world than meets the eye.
Yes, as the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance eloquently and vehemently points out, it is high time that we wake up from our materialistic slumber and acknowledge the true essence of humanity - and in all likelihood of the universe as a whole: the spirit, driven by feelings and value judgments. Not that we should plunge headlong in the opposite extreme and adopt an anthropomorphic worldview, but that we should remain open to the part of the world that is beyond appearances, beyond the so-called matter, and cannot be experienced but only imagined. Scientists are doomed to stay miserably off the mark, however efficient their material descriptions and predictions may be, until they agree to be poets as well.
|
|
|
Mack (MSL quote) , USA
<2006-12-31 00:00>
I read through some of the other reviews of this book, and found myself hard pressed to find out what the book was actually about. Rather than discussing the plot, other reviewers like to talk about the tingly feeling this book gives them. The reason why the other reviewers do not discuss the plot is because it is paper thin, despite the 400 page thickness of the book. After reading the book, I am hard pressed to explain what it is about.
I realize this book is intended to be a philosophical exploration of the modern world, but I just can not see it. The main character uses his motorcycle as his metaphor for life. Just as things go wrong in life, motorcycles malfunction. Each person has a unique approach to fixing the problem. The main character's problem is his strained relationship with his son. Together, they travel cross country via motorcycle, enduring the quirks in each other's personality and enjoying some beautiful scenery. This story is about 30% of the book. In the rest of the book, the main character explores fantasy/his alter ego while discussing philosophy and all of the great philosophers. If you did not enjoy reading this type of literature in your college philosophy class, reading these passages will feel like a trip to the dentist.
While the coming of age story and father and son bonding stories are readable, I would hardly call this book "one of the most profound best sellers of our time". One man's navel gazing is a waste of another's time.
(A negative review. MSL remarks.)
|
|
|
Brian Bruya (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-31 00:00>
In his now classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig brings us a literary chautauqua, a novel that is meant to both entertain and edify. It scores high on both counts.
Phaedrus, our narrator, takes a present-tense cross-country motorcycle trip with his son during which the maintenance of the motorcycle becomes an illustration of how we can unify the cold, rational realm of technology with the warm, imaginative realm of artistry. As in Zen, the trick is to become one with the activity, to engage in it fully, to see and appreciate all details--be it hiking in the woods, penning an essay, or tightening the chain on a motorcycle.
In his autobiographical first novel, Pirsig wrestles both with the ghost of his past and with the most important philosophical questions of the 20th century - why has technology alienated us from our world? what are the limits of rational analysis? if we can't define the good, how can we live it? Unfortunately, while exploring the defects of our philosophical heritage from Socrates and the Sophists to Hume and Kant, Pirsig inexplicably stops at the middle of the 19th century. With the exception of Poincar , he ignores the more recent philosophers who have tackled his most urgent questions, thinkers such as Peirce, Nietzsche (to whom Phaedrus bears a passing resemblance), Heidegger, Whitehead, Dewey, Sartre, Wittgenstein, and Kuhn.
In the end, the narrator's claims to originality turn out to be overstated, his reasoning questionable, and his understanding of the history of Western thought sketchy. His solution to a synthesis of the rational and creative by elevating Quality to a metaphysical level simply repeats the mistakes of the pre-modern philosophers. But in contrast to most other philosophers, Pirsig writes a compelling story. And he is a true innovator in his attempt to popularize a reconciliation of Eastern mindfulness and non-rationalism with Western subject/object dualism. The magic of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance turns out to lie not in the answers it gives, but in the questions it raises and the way it raises them. Like a cross between The Razor's Edge and Sophie's World, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance takes us into "the high country of the mind" and opens our eyes to vistas of possibility. |
|
|
|
1 2 | Total 2 pages 12 items |
|
|
|
|
|
|
