I read this one a long time ago while volunteering in Kenya. Though I completely enjoyed that African adventure, the nostalgia of an American road trip was quite welcome. You can breath a sigh because Pirsig’s book is mostly not about mechanical maintenance, motorcycles, or even Zen. While it’s a remarkable book, it’s no Sunday drive down Route 66. This is primarily a philosophical work that questions the scientific method and argues for Quality. Pirsig’s arguments are highly rhetorical and even occasionally mathematical. They build and spiral much like roads wrap around mountains. I found the book enjoyable, but thick in terms of concepts and language, despite the fact that I have a background in mathematics, I’m quite interested in philosophy and science, AND I’d ridden a motorcycle along many (and more) of the same roads Pirsig does in his book. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance goes further than just philosophy and even further than weaving these difficult concepts into a concrete road trip, and even further than providing some nice father-son relationship drama. It peppers in one other element (I’ll not spoil it), which really makes this the masterpiece deserving of the acclaim.

If you’re up for a compelling, intense and dense read, give it a go. If you’d like to read something that’s still travel-philosophy, but not quite so rhetorical – try a book I wrote titled Zen Repair and the Art of Riding Chili.

Read more Book Reviews by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony.