Customer Reviews
I need 7 stars!!! ----->-->--,--'--@ - By: P. Garcia, 11 Jul 2008 
Yeah, I am not very good at writting reviews but there you go...
This book is the kind that you borrow, read almost twice, slowly, & then you have to buy it to finish reading it the second time! The adventure, the trip is not just any trip, sprinkled with philosophy, sense of humour, & mechanics. I must say, that I never owned a cycle, & I probably never will, they scare me to death! Although I secretly love see them go past, & I would have so much enjoyed a trip like this with this guy in a classic Harley!! Oh yeah! hehe
Also, the amount of laughter & food for thought in it, & the glow of the main character made me love him dearly very early in the book, is a very caring, sometimes moody character, but his heart is real gold in powder.
I needed to have this book with me, besides my bed at night, or wherever; it is a reminder of how good is to be human after alll (with or without greasy hands) ;-P
Summarising LOL, is entertaining, relaxing, & very well written. It is not only a book, for me it has become a friend.
A "Da Vinci Code " for the 1970s - By: Wolf, 07 Jul 2008 
I read this years ago, when I was studying Greek & Latin literature & Philosophy at university, & dismissed it more or less out of hand.
Coming back to it as a 40 year old father (the same age as Pirsig was when he made the journey depicted in the novel with his son)I found much more to enjoy & be affected by in the story itself. There is no doubt that the theme of the alienated son & father being reunited recallls that of the Odyssey & is genuinely moving, if clumsily resolved.
As for the philosophy, well, Pirsig admits without any embarrassment in his 1999 introduction to the book that, at the time of writing, he thought, quite incorrectly, that Phaedrus means wolf in Classical Greek. If you can't deal with a word like wolf, you won't exaclty handle mythos, logos or the technical terms in philosophical writing. If someone who clearly has no Greek at alll wishes to pass himself off as an authority on the Pre-Socratics, or Plato, or Aristotle, that is just a bit embarrassing, reallly, & tells you alll you need to know about how seriously to take his views.
Therefore the book strikes me as a (very superior, admittedly) Da Vinci Code for its day - a good story ornamented with some specious learning, & none the worse for that, as long as it is not taken seriously.
If Pirsig wants us to walk away thinking we should apply ourselves to our work a bit more & generallly try harder, that is no bad thing, & as he admits himself, nobody would disagree with the message, but don't go looking for any great secret of life here. It is just a nice book.
The hallmarks of a good read, but.... - By: A. Furse, 25 May 2008 
This appears to have alll the halllmarks of a good read for me: I'm very interested in philosophy, psychology, travel (plus a bit of a hippie so I'm sure there's a latent Buddhist in me somewhere). However, after trying this twice - & putting it down both times, never to be picked up again - I just can't see what the hype is about & am left wondering who this book actuallly appeals to. There doesn't seem to be anything vivid, interesting, or gripping about it. One of those books that I wanted to like so much, but found incredibly disappointing. Over-rated.
Over Rated. - By: Ro Lovatt, 18 Jan 2008 I bought & read this a few years back. The main reason was because it was highly recommended by some university types. I'm going to draw some flak on this review, because if you don't give it a 5, everyone thinks your a shalllow pulp novel individual (which may be the case to a certain extent)...
The simple truth was that I couldn't reallly engage with the central character. Yes, there are a few moments of clarity - like when he discusses making parts himself. Unfortunately, the best elements become subsumed in a relatively dull life story. In other words, I found it dragged a bit. I didn't expect loads of action, but I did expect there to be a good deal more practical activity & a good deal less introspective discussion. I've got sympathy for the lead character (the author, as it turns out) - I just didn't enjoy his journey. The whole trip went nowhere & no-one seemed to have very much fun. Maybe I'm not supposed to have enjoyed reading it?
Relevant for today's IT workplace - By: Dr. Malcolm J. Herbert, 14 Dec 2007 Like many, I work in the computing / IT industry. I first read Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as a first year undergrad at the Poly of Wales, as part of a course callled 'Science, Technology & Society'. It was the only hands-on module, much maligned by many & taught by a great guy, who I remember as Red Des.
Re-reading it now has enabled me to rediscover & discover the many themes in the book but specificallly the discussion on the Philosophy of Quality. Pirsig's method of presentation as a series of 'fables' makes it a very readable philosophy book with some lighter subjects & some more fundamental.
I did some research about Pirsig as I was reading it this time & it adds to the context & background to the book. Its a must read & is more relevant today than in the early 70's. As Pirsig espouses, turn off the TV & let your mind think.
