Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance [50th Anniversary Edition] bookcover

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance [50th Anniversary Edition]

An Inquiry into Values
4.9/5.0
21,000+ Reviews
Bookshop.org has the highest-rated customer service of any bookstore in the world

Description

50th anniversary edition • With a new foreword by Matthew B. Crawford, author of Shop Class as Soulcraft

The bestselling masterpiece about one man’s search for meaning on a motorcycle trip through the American West— an enduring examination of how we live and how to live better

One of the most important and influential books of the past half century, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is Robert M. Pirsig’s classic exploration of human experience and endeavor. Pirsig’s narrative of a father and son on a summer motorcycle trip becomes a profound personal and philosophical odyssey into life’s fundamental questions. A true modern classic, it remains at once touching and transcendent, resonant with the myriad confusions of existence and the small, essential triumphs that propel us forward.

“Profoundly important. . . . Full of insights into our most perplexing contemporary dilemmas.” —New York Times 

Product Details

PublisherMariner Books Classics
Publish DateFebruary 13, 2024
Pages464
LanguageEnglish
TypeBook iconPaperback / softback
EAN/UPC9780063342330
Dimensions8.3 X 5.5 X 1.2 inches | 12.5 pounds

About the Author

Robert M. Pirsig (1928–2017) is the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which has sold more than five-million copies since its publication in 1974, and Lila, a finalist for the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He graduated from the University of Minnesota (B.A., 1950; M.A., 1958) and attended Benares Hindu University in India, where he studied Eastern philosophy, and the University of Chicago, where he pursued a PhD in philosophy. Pirsig’s motorcycle resides in the Smithsonian Institution.

Reviews

“An unforgettable trip.” — Time

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance sold millions of copies and made Pirsig a reluctant hero to generations of intellectual wanderers…Zen was an instant classic — a work of literature that captured the spirit of its time and retained its appeal long after the hippie movement had faded.”  — Washington Post

“A touchstone. … Pirsig’s plunge into the grand philosophical questions of Western culture remained near the top of the bestseller lists for a decade and helped define the post-hippie 1970s landscape.”  — New York Times

“The truly great road trip novel. … Many former angsty teens will surely fondly recall their own dog-eared, heavily underlined copies of Pirsig’s book, and the initial joy that accompanied reading something that felt so specifically personal and yet so urgently universal. … Zen’s ongoing reprints, its devoted fan base, and the countless road trips and pseudo-spiritual journeys it’s inspired are indicative of the book’s ongoing appeal.”  — GQ

“Inspired college classes, academic conferences and a legion of 'Pirsig pilgrims' who retrace the anguished, cross-country motorcycle trip at the heart of his novel.”  — Los Angeles Times

“Profoundly important...full of insights into our most perplexing contemporary dilemmas.” — New York Times

“The book is inspired, original. . . . The analogies with Moby-Dick are patent.” — The New Yorker

“It is filled with beauty. . .a finely made whole that seems to emanate from a very special grace.” — Baltimore Sun

“A miracle . . . sparkles like an electric dream.” — The Village Voice

Earn by promoting books

Earn money by sharing your favorite books through our Affiliate program.sign up to affiliate program link
Become an affiliate