Many years ago whilst travelling round India I found a book,or it found me?  The title.... 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'.      I have tried to read this book numerous times over the years and not been able to understand it. Maybe I was at a wrong time in my life to read such a philosophical novel?    Just wondering if anyonelse has read this book or do you struggle to read it like me?        Ann-Marie                                                                                                                                                                               

Read that book many years ago. Can't say it gave me many clues to fixing the A7 I had at the time but it did gave some interesting insights into why people do certain things. Followed it with Jupiter's Travels which was a much easier read                                                                                                                                                                              

Hahaha This is very reassuring...I really struggled with it too when I stumbled across it in the 70s...but kept mum and continued to occasionally drop the title into conversation in a very 'knowing' way over the years   Now I'm big enough and brave enough to admit I haven't got a clue what he was on about and I can only remember odd little bits.   Maybe I should give it another go?   Jupiter's Travels was around much the same time and that left a much greater impression and had much more lasting influence                                                                                                                                                                             

Ah Minnie...glad someone else stuggles, this is deffo reassuring .....maybe its a girl thing  ...    I think you should give it another go   I have never got round to reading Jupiters Travels Gloom, but thankyou for the reminder, I will find a copy   Ann-Marie   x                                                                                                                                                                               

A HA    I have found jupiters travels on my all new 'kindle'.....yes i have dragged myself kicking and screaming into 21 century reading......Yes even me an avid book sniffer,  reading off a kindle    Gloom I have also found a book for you  ... 'Dreaming of Jupiter-In search of the world 30yrs on'           Ted simon now in his 70s, still on a bike retracing his 70s trip on a Triumph....    Well thats me 'booked up' for a while            Ann-Marie                                                                                                                                                                                     

Jupiter's travels is well worth the read and he repeated the trip at the age of 70 back in 2001. So there is still hope for us all to just get on the bike and do that trip we've always promised ourselves.

Thanks for posting the topic missme, it's made me remember things I've been to busy with life to think about for several years.

 @ gloom      x                                                                                                                                                                             

A strange book. In its introduction, Robert Pirsig explains that, despite its title, "it should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Bhuddist practice. It's not very factual on motorcycles, either.   Persig  describes the approach to life of his friend John Sutherland, who chooses not to learn how to maintain his expensive new motorcycle - he simply hopes for the best with his bike, and when problems do occur he often becomes frustrated, and is forced to rely on professional mechanics to repair it.   In contrast, Persig has an older motorcycle which he is usually able to diagnose and repair himself through problem solving skills and presumably the fact that he maintains it himself, therefore knowing it intimately.   In other words,  DIY saves you a fortune !     ... wiki is back working  hehe                                                                                                                                                                               

Discovered said book back in my days and thoroughly enjoyed every syllable of it. I think you should take the journey of reading it again Missme, perhaps you are in a different place now and will relate more to it's metaphorical mayhem.   Thank you for the reminder, i think that i too will get another copy and reread it again myself.   Best regards and warm wishes...   ..icey                                                                                                                                                                              

It would appear that ZAMM is available as a downloadable pdf or a podcast

http://www.bartneck.de/projects/research/pirsig/

Time to read it again :)

Opened this thread not really knowing what to expect and ended up placing an order with Amazon , this is one of those books I "should" have read years ago but didn't, thanks for the reminder.                                                                                                                                                                              

Aw..nice to see Ihave took some people back down memory lane   Icy....I think you are right, I am older and wiser now, maybe  right time to give it another go.....would like to read it in a hut on stilts in  the maldives with a ladder leading down to the water     Jonathan Livingston's  "Seagull"  "Illusions" and "The adventures of a reluctant Messiah"........books to be revisited   Right let me book a holiday somewhere exotic         Ann-Marie  x                                                                                                                                                                                       

Woo Hoo You really got us going missme!   How about a revisit to the "Electric Cool-Aid Acid Test" and the "Doors of Perception"?   .....got to be better than Doc Martin and celebrity Big Brother on tv on a boring saturday night                                                                                                                                                                              

Wow Minnie.   .....I have to fess  up that I had not heard of those titles, just looked them up......Good Lord they sound out of my league of comprehension                                                                                                                                                                                    

[quote] Icy....I think you are right, I am older and wiser now, maybe  right time to give it another go.....would like to read it in a hut on stilts in  the maldives with a ladder leading down to the water    [/quote]   Sounds like a positively perfect way of enjoying a good read, no distractions, just mother nature suckling her life around you.   Another book i enjoyed (although a lot shorter and less intense that Zen)..'enjoyed' is perhaps the wrong word..it warmed my spirit...   ..is 'the five people you meet in heaven' by mitch albom.   A must if you're a sentimental old fool like myself.   Happy reading and mental journey my friend (which ever books you re or reread)...   ..icey                                                                                                                                                                              

    Aw, thankyou for the suggestion icey, its  great to meet like minded folk mentally (one day physically), minnie and gloom too       And may I offer a sincere & warm welcome to our book club       Ann-Marie, alias missme x   (founder and president of Missme'smustread Book Club)                                                                                                                                                                                  

"Electric Cool-Aid Acid Test" 

Blimey, Minnie, there's a blast from the past 

I haven't read Zen... , maybe I should now being older, not so much wiser, but now in possession of my own bike

                                                                                                                                                                             

Right, you lot !! Only read one from above list, so had better get onto amazon (unless you still got copies hanging around Min???!!)

Book club??? Nooooo..please lets not start asking "profound" questions!!

Book list ?? that's more like it 

Thanks missme for the nudges                                                                                                                                                                              

Alice, you're right on there. 
I don't do "analysing"   that's far too intellectual for me.  I just go by if I like it or not, and sometimes I like things even if I don't understand them 
(and I'm talking about books not men although I don't think I'll ever understand men )

                                                                                                                                                                             

Yes, well you already know there's a touch of the old hippy rock chick about me HRC   Not sure about ZATAMM but would definitely recommend Jupiter's travels if you haven't encountered it already...a faboulous & inspirational book   I'll have to buy another copy....I failed to win custody in the great divide of the marital spoils...along with the Grateful Dead albums