| |  | Books : Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance |  | | | | | | | | | |
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 917.3049290922
EAN: 9780307269706
ISBN: 0307269701
Label: Knopf
Manufacturer: Knopf
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: September 09, 2008
Publisher: Knopf
Release Date: September 09, 2008
Sales Rank: 26238
Studio: Knopf
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Zen and Now is a vivid chronicle of a journalist’s heartfelt and determined journey to reconnect with a beloved American classic.
In 1968, Robert Pirsig and his eleven-year-old son, Chris, made the cross-country motorcycle trip that would become the inspiration for Pirsig’s book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a powerful blend of personal narrative and philosophical investigation that has inspired generations.
Among the millions of readers to fall under the book’s spell was Mark Richardson, who as a young man struggled to understand Pirsig’s provocative and elusive ideas. Rereading the book decades later, Richardson, now a journalist and a father of two, was moved by its portrayal of Pirsig’s complex relationship with Chris and struck by the timelessness of its lessons. So he tuned up his old Suzuki dirt bike and became a “Pirsig pilgrim,” one of the legion of fans who retrace the Pirsigs’ route from Minneapolis to San Francisco. In following this itinerary over the lonely byways of the American West, Richardson revisits the people and places from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, pondering the meaning of Pirsig’s philosophy and the answers it may offer to the questions in his own life. Richardson’s dogged reporting also gives new insight into the reclusive writer’s life, exploring Pirsig’s struggle with mental illness, his unwanted celebrity, and the tragic, brutal murder of Chris in 1979.
Published to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of Pirsig’s original trip, Zen and Now is a stirring meditation on a classic work and a passionate inquiry into the lessons it continues to teach us in the complex and bewildering world we inhabit today.
Customer Reviews Average Rating: 
Rating:  - zen and ho-hum
i kick-started this book with high hopes and expectations, if only to reconnect with the original zamm which i read as a college freshman at the university of michigan in 1976. but disappointment soon came over me, as i realized that the author was more intent on making "time" than "seeing" america as he attempted to retrace pirsig's original route. didn't he know that you can't step in the same river twice? and why was he so intent on making it to sf by his 42nd birthday? to his credit, the good ... Read More
Rating:  - Interesting, although not very deep
It was enjoyable reading up on some of the characters behind the ZAMM story.But there's too much fluff here.
Rating:  - Another 'quality' book...
I like the style very much, how it mirrors ZATAOMM. I found Richardson's journey and story to be equally compelling as Pirsigs. The author mixed these stories together in three threads: his journey across the country, Pirsig's original journey, and the biographical facts of Pirsig's life. I enjoyed all three.
This book does not dwell on the philoshical part of ZATAOMM. That is ok. Any attempt to re-create or deeply evaluate Pirsig's concepts would likely pale in comparison.
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Rating: - An Inquiry Into Cluelessness
Like Mr. Richardson I'm a huge fan of Pirsig and motorcycling and bought this book when I saw a review of it in the WSJ. I was deeply disappointed. Zen and the Art ... works because of the explorations into various facets of philosophy and identity. It's not really about a motorcycle trip, it's about exploration. Richardson's book explores nothing. There are a few random stabs into his family relationships and past experiences but they are far from profound and seem tacked on. All you learn about the ... Read More
Rating: - Take Your own trip
Hello,
I really enjoyed this book, in fact it exceeded my expectations. I had been looking for some back story to ZMM that would include more information about the original trip and characters. With this book I found all that I was looking for and it's own story.Which I feel does a good job of adding to the original work. (Not the philosophy portions so much but more the narrative story.)
I have been a fan of ZMM for 13 years and longed to take this trip myself. After reading ... Read More
Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance | | | |
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