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5+ Works 20,950 Members 307 Reviews 41 Favorited

About the Author

Robert Maynard Pirsig was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 6, 1928. While serving in the Army, he visited Japan on a leave and became interested in Zen Buddhism. After his service, he received bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Minnesota. He later show more studied philosophy at the University of Chicago and at Banaras Hindu University in India. He taught writing at Montana State University in Bozeman and the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was also a freelance writer and editor for corporate publications and technical magazines. His first novel, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values, was published in 1974. His follow-up novel, Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals, was published in 1991. He died on April 24, 2017 at the age of 88. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: (c) Ian Glendinning 2005 http://www.psybertron.org

Works by Robert M. Pirsig

Associated Works

Coffee with Plato (Coffee with...Series) (2007) — Foreword — 68 copies
Lila's Child: An Inquiry into Quality (2002) — Introduction — 32 copies

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Reviews

My boyfriend in high school went mad for philosophy. Insisted this book was life changing. It was approximately terrible. Tried reading this twice; failed both times. xD
 
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Jenniferforjoy | 279 other reviews | Jan 29, 2024 |
Honestly, I don't think I really got it. I should read it again now that I have a college degree.
 
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LibrarianDest | 279 other reviews | Jan 3, 2024 |
This book was heavy and filled deep philosophical ideas which made it hard to get through, but also gave me abundant food for thought. It’s interesting to think about how faded the line can become between sanity and insanity. I relayed to how much he thought about things, and how difficult it is go through that natural rhythm of day to day life after questioning ones own worth and existence. Then once I start to figure out what meaning is I end up spiraling the same way Pirsig (or Phaedrus) does throughout the entire book, trying to define quality. I wish I had been able to talk to him, I think he would have been an immensely interesting person to discuss with.… (more)
 
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sophia.magyk | 279 other reviews | Jan 3, 2024 |
I may read this again - something I rarely do - just for the description of voyage down the Hudson.
 
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GigiB50 | 26 other reviews | Dec 18, 2023 |

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Works
5
Also by
3
Members
20,950
Popularity
#1,033
Rating
3.8
Reviews
307
ISBNs
189
Languages
23
Favorited
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