Skip to content

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values Hardcover - 1974

by Robert M. Pirsig


About this book

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values was written in 1974 by Robert M. Pirsig, a commentary on the Metaphysics of Quality within a growing commercialized society. The work is a fictionalized autobiography narrating a 17-day motorcycle journey across the U.S. with his son, Chris, and his friends John and Sylvia Sutherland.

 The trip is punctuated by numerous philosophical discussions, referred to as Chautauquas by the author, on topics including epistemology, the history of philosophy, and the philosophy of science. The interactions of these romantic philosophically driven discussions are tied by the author, who refers to his past self as Phaedrus. 

Author Robert M. Pirsig, a teacher of creative and technical writing at a small college, became engrossed in the question of what defines good writing, and what in general defines good, or "Quality", which he understood similar to Tao. His philosophical inventions and investigations later left him mentally ill, forcing him to reconcile with his past during his trip. 

"Quality . . . you know what it is, yet you don't know what it is. But that's self-contradictory. But some things are better than others, that is, they have more quality. But when you try to say what the quality is, apart from the things that have it, it all goes poof! There's nothing to talk about. But if you can't say what Quality is, how do you know what it is, or how do you know that it even exists? If no one knows what it is, then for all practical purposes it doesn't exist at all. But for all practical purposes, it really does exist."


From the publisher

THE CLASSIC BOOK THAT HAS INSPIRED MILLIONS

A penetrating examination of how we live and how to live better

Few books transform a generation and then establish themselves as touchstones for the generations that follow. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one such book. This modern epic of a man's search for meaning became an instant bestseller on publication in 1974, acclaimed as one of the most exciting books in the history of American letters. It continues to inspire millions.

A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions on how to live. The narrator's relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reckoning; the craft of motorcycle maintenance leads to an austerely beautiful process for reconciling science, religion, and humanism. Resonant with the confusions of existence, this classic is a touching and transcendent book of life.

This new edition contains an interview with Pirsig and letters and documents detailing how this extraordinary book came to be.

From the rear cover

Few books transform a generation and then establish themselves as touchstones for the generations that follow. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one such book. Years in the writing and rejected by 121 publishers, this modern epic of a man's search for meaning became an instant bestseller upon publication in 1974. Acclaimed as one of the most exciting books in the history of American letters, it continues to inspire millions of readers. This 25th Anniversary Edition features a penetrating new Introduction by Robert Pirsig, in which he reveals his original intention about the book's controversial ending, as well as important typographical changes reflecting his ideas.

An autobiography of the mind and body, the book is a narration of a motorcycle trip taken by a father and his eleven-year-old son; a summer junket that confronts mortal truths on the journey of life. As the miles pass, the mind expands, and the narrator's tale covers many topics, from motorcycle maintenance itself through a search for how to live, an inquiry into "what is best," and the creation of a philosophical system reconciling science, religion, and humanism.

Unwanted and unbidden is the narrator's confrontation with a ghost: his former self, a brilliant man whose search for truth drove him to madness and death. This ghost, Phaedrus, haunts the narrator as he and his son visit places where they once lived. And, too, he confronts his deteriorating relationship with his son, who has himself been diagnosed as suffering the beginning symptoms of mental illness.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance speaks directly to the confusions and agonies of existence. In his intimate detailing of a personal and philosophical odyssey, Robert M. Pirsig has written a touching, painful, and ultimately transcendent book of life.

First Edition Identification

William Morrow & Company published a first Edition hardback in New York, 1974. The book is held together in Octavo sizing and covered with a dust jacket. Jacket design by Paul Bacon features a wrench coming out of plant leaves. 


The Bodley Head published the first Edition, first UK Printing in London, 1974. The hardback is cloth bound and illustrated dust jacket. The UK dust jacket, illustrated by John Sewell, features a romanesque statue sitting thoughtfully atop a motorcycle, with a plant coming from their head. 


Details

  • Title Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
  • Author Robert M. Pirsig
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 432
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Mariner Books, New York
  • Date 1974-05-01
  • ISBN 9780688002305 / 0688002307
  • Weight 1.1 lbs (0.50 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.6 in (21.08 x 14.99 x 4.06 cm)
  • Reading level 1040
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 1950-1999
  • Library of Congress subjects Self, Fathers and sons - United States
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 73012275
  • Dewey Decimal Code B
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values

by Pirsig, Robert M

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Worn
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780688002305
ISBN 10
0688002307
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Gillingham, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.37
$7.53 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
A book which has very little to do with motorcycle maintenance! This story, loosely based on real events in Pirsig's life, follows a motorcycle trip across the USA with his son, where he uses the free time on the road to tell a chaquatua about values and what they mean to humans.Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4115342643
Item Price
$6.37
$7.53 shipping to USA
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : An Inquiry into Values

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : An Inquiry into Values

by Robert M. Pirsig

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780688002305
ISBN 10
0688002307
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.66
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers, 1974. Hardcover. Good. Disclaimer:Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$7.66
FREE shipping to USA
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : An Inquiry into Values

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : An Inquiry into Values

by Robert M. Pirsig

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780688002305
ISBN 10
0688002307
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.71
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers, 1974. Hardcover. Acceptable. Missing dust jacket; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$7.71
FREE shipping to USA
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values

by Pirsig, Robert M

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780688002305
ISBN 10
0688002307
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$10.38
$5.50 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Mariner Books, 1974-05-01. hardcover. Very Good. 5x1x8.
Item Price
$10.38
$5.50 shipping to USA
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance An Inquiry into Values
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance An Inquiry into Values

by Pirsig, Robert M.

  • Used
  • good
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780688002305
ISBN 10
0688002307
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Grandview Heights, Ohio, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$14.10
$3.50 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Good. All orders ship SAME or NEXT business day. Expedited shipments will be received in 1-5 business days within the United States. We proudly ship to APO/FPO addresses. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed!
Item Price
$14.10
$3.50 shipping to USA
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values

by Robert M. Pirsig

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used: Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780688002305
ISBN 10
0688002307
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$14.91
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
William Morrow, 1974-05-01. Hardcover. Used: Good.
Item Price
$14.91
FREE shipping to USA
ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE:
More Photos

ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE: An Inquiry into Values

by Pirsig, Robert M.

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very good +
Edition
Book Club
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780688002305
ISBN 10
0688002307
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Lawrence, Kansas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$20.00
$4.75 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New York: Morrow, 1974. Book Club. Hardcover. Very good +/very good. 8vo. Black cloth spine with black boards, with silver spine lettering. 412 pages. No names or marks. Illustrated dust-jacket is chipped with slight loss at spine ends. The 1974 Book Club edition, with "1974" printed at bottom of the title page; a small, square blind-stamp at bottom of the rear cover; and no price on the dust-jacket flap.
Item Price
$20.00
$4.75 shipping to USA
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values

by Pirsig, Robert M

  • New
  • Hardcover
Condition
New
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780688002305
ISBN 10
0688002307
Quantity Available
1
Seller
San Diego, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$20.20
$5.45 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Mariner Books, 1974-04-30. hardcover. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title!
Item Price
$20.20
$5.45 shipping to USA
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values

by Robert M. Pirsig

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used:Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780688002305
ISBN 10
0688002307
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$22.71
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
William Morrow, 1974-05-01. Hardcover. Used:Good.
Item Price
$22.71
FREE shipping to USA
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

by Robert M. Pirsig

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good Condition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780688002305
ISBN 10
0688002307
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Lexington, Missouri, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$24.00
$4.50 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
William Morrow, 1974. Hardcover. Very Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. Illustrator: . 412 pages. Sound square binding, light shelf wear, yellowing; very good overall. No jacket. Appears to be a book club edition, code of MP8D on last page. Illustrator: . Quantity Available: 1. Category: Philosophy; ISBN: 0688002307. ISBN/EAN: 9780688002305. Inventory No: 200257. . 9780688002305
Item Price
$24.00
$4.50 shipping to USA