About the Book

One of the most books written in the past half-century, Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a powerful, moving, and penetrating examination of how we live . . . and a breathtaking meditation on how to live better.

Here is the book that transformed a generation: an unforgettable narration of a summer motorcycle trip across America’s Northwest, undertaken by a father and his young son. A story of love and fear—of growth, discovery, and acceptance—that becomes a profound personal and philosophical odyssey into life’s fundamental questions, this uniquely exhilarating modern classic is both touching and transcendent, resonant with the myriad confusions of existence . . . and the small, essential triumphs that propel us forward.

Critical Praise

“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

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Product Details

• ISBN: 9780061673733
• ISBN 10: 0061673730
• Imprint: Mariner Books Classics
• On Sale: 09/30/2008
• Trimsize: 5.500 in (w) x 8.250 in (h) x 1.120 in (d)
• Pages: 448
• List Price: $19.99
• BISAC1 : PHILOSOPHY / Eastern
• BISAC2 : PHILOSOPHY / Zen
• BISAC3 : PSYCHOLOGY / Emotions
• BISAC4 : BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Personal Memoirs
• BISAC5 : TRAVEL / Essays & Travelogues