Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. an inquiry into values

394 Pages·1974·62.375 MB·English

by  Robert M Pirsig

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ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT
BESTSELLERS OF OUR TIME.
THE FABULOUS JOURNEY OF A MAN
IN SEARCH OF HIMSELF
AND HIE
ARM
MOTORCYCLE
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AN INQUIRY INTO VALUES
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"The real cycle you're working on
"
is a cycle called 'yourself.'
"The study of the art of motorcycle maintenance
is really a miniature study of the art of rationality
itself. Working on a motorcycle, working well,
caring, is to become part of a process, to achieve
an inner peace of mind. The motorcycle is pri-
marily a mental phenomenon.—
Robert M. Pirsig
PRAISE FOR
ZEN AND THE ART
OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE
AND ROBERT M. PIRSIG
"PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT
full of in-
. . .
sights into our most perplexing contemporary di-
lemmas It is intellectual entertainment of the
. , .
highest order."
—The New York Times
"THIS BOOK SHOULD LIVE A LONG LIFE
and go through many editions, and it should be
properly maintained, and I hope Pirsig tinkers
with it . . . Brave wanderings, high adventures,
A
extraordinary risks ... horn of plenty."
—Los Angeles Times Calendar
"A moving tale of the modern soul, and a fine
detective story of a man in search of himself.
Beautifully, lucidly written, it offers a large chal-
ZEN AND THE
lenge and an equal reward.
ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE
IS
ONE HARLEY OF A BOOK."
—Chicago Daily News
"A HYPNOTISTS CRYSTAL SPARKLED
. . .
WITH DIAMONDS."
—
Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull
"AN EXCELLENT, UNCOMMON BOOK-
TO BE VALUED. It is filled with beauty, and
with a stiff terror and doubt ... On page after
page there are small surprises of timing and
grace."
—The Baltimore Sim
"PIRSIG IS A BORN WRITER, and he has
written one of the truly good books of our time.
A
Once I started I could not let go of it . . . rare
treasure."
—
Eric Hoffer
"IT LODGES IN THE MIND AS FEW RE-
CENT NOVELS HAVE ... The book
is in-
spired, origina—l ... As the mountains gentle
toward the s—ea with father and child locked in a
ghostly grip the narrative tact, the perfect econ-
omy of effect defy criticism The analogies
. . .
with Moby Dick are patent. Robert Pirsig invites
the prodigious comparison What more can
. . .
one say?"
—
George Steiner, The New Yorker
"IT IS A MIRACLE SPARKLES LIKE AN
. . .
ELECTRIC DREAM.
Freshness, originality
. . .
that seduces you into loving motorcycles, as ten-
der in their pistons as the petals in the Buddha's
dawn lotus."
—
Village Voice
"FROM ITS TITLE ... TO ITS SHATTERING
FINAL PAGES, ROBERT PIRSIG'S BOOK IS
EXTRAORDINARY."
—
Walter demons, Newsweek
"A SORT OF BOOK OF LIFE; A BOOK
ABOUT FEELING AND CARING, about what
we are and the quality of our lives. It offers
glimpses of what living really means Besides
. . .
being a man of tremendous intelligence, Pirsig is
a fine writer."
—
San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle
BANTAM NEW AGE BOOKS
This important imprint includes books in a variety offields and disci-
plines and deals with the search formeaning, growth and change.
Ask yourbookseller forthe books you have missed.
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ZENANDTHEARTOFMOTORCYCLEMAINTENANCEbyRobert
M. Pirsig

—
ZEN
AND THE
ART
OF
MOTORCYCLE
MAINTENANCE
i^—
—————— — —
—
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ROBERT
M. PIRSIG
A BANTAM NEW AGE BOOK
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BANTAM BOOKS
NEW YORK • TORONTO • LONDON • SYDNEY • AUCKLAND
formyfamily
Thisedition contains thecompletetext
oftheoriginalhardcoveredition.
NOTONEWORDHAS BEEN OMITTED.
ZEN ANDTHEARTOFMOTORCYCLEMAINTENANCE
ABantamBookIpublishedbyarrangementwith
WilliamMorrowandCompany, Inc.
PRINTING HISTORY
WilliamMorroweditionpublishedApril1974
Bantam editionIApril1975
26printingsthroughNovember1980
NewAgeEditionIOctober1981
39printingsthroughNovember1989
BantamNew Ageandtheaccompanyingfiguredesignaswell
as thestatement "the searchformeaning, growthand
change" are trademarksofBantamBooks.
SpecialthanksshouldgotoStuartCohen,
whoprovidedan officetowritein,
andMrs. AbigailKenyon,forcriticalhelp
with the earlychapters.
All rights reserved.
Copyright© 1974byRobertM. Pirsig.
Introductioncopyright©1984 byRobertM. Pirsig.
Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedortransmitted
inanyformorbyanymeans, electronicormechanical,
includingphotocopying, recording, orbyanyinformation
storageandretrievalsystem, withoutpermission in writing
from thepublisher.
Forinformationaddress: WilliamMorrowandCompany, Inc.,
105MadisonAvenue,NewYork, N.Y. 10016.
ISBN0-553-27747-2
Publishedsimultaneouslyinthe UnitedStatesandCanada
Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division ofBantam
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PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OFAMERICA
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