Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

It is always interesting to me how I tend to read a similar set of books in a short period of time.  After Sophie’s World, I jump into another “philosophical exploration,” this one by Robert Pirsig, the “cult following book” Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.  When I was listening to it I could hear the voice that begins the Star Trek series…Space: The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise… I felt like I was on the journey with the lead character (the unnamed protagonist), his son Chris, and close friends John and Sylvia (well they were there the first nine days) from Minnesota to California (hey yeah, California is like another world... at least that’s what I have been told as I have never been to Cali!).  This journey is more about the thinking than the going for sure.  While there is some level of linear story, it is more about a philosophical, almost philosophical (Zen like) approach in learning about healthy thinking.  We should treat our instruments (our bodies) like the maintenance of the motorcycle, almost as complicated.  One needs to be “in the moment” as illustrated by the feel of taking care of your tools after fixing your motorcycle.  Understanding the inner workings of the person as he learns how to take care of the vehicle, the motorcycle, and later how boring/tedious it can be to take care of a motorcycle (or any mechanical instrument) yet it can be a fun past time and it all depends on one’s attitude during the process.  The author also explores “truth” and the whole concept of “quality.”  His long diatribe on the quality of education, through the character of Phaedra hit home as I sit in my role as educator and administrator on a college campus. The intertwining of the Phaedra character (his teacher) and the journey with Chris criss-cross throughout, but are complimentary in hitting the core ideas that Pirsig is trying to share with his audience.  This is not a book for a quick Sunday afternoon read.  It is deep and offers some challenging and entertaining “high brow” thinking.  While I enjoyed and learned some good “Zen” like philosophy, I did need to re-listen to some portions as it was too heady while running on the treadmill in the gym.  It is a classic, so having it on the list gives me a smile.  I am really glossing over this one and doing little to no real service in capturing Pirsig’s book.  Philosophy majors and those interested in capturing another “meaning of life” and how to place one would do well in reading when you are at a place of inquiry.