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

By Robert M. Pirsig

Book Overview

The Bestselling Philosophy Book of All Time

"Profoundly important. . . . Full of insights into our most perplexing contemporary dilemmas." ―New York Times

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, HarperCollins is proud to present this library of American classics drawn from our storied catalog. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is Robert M. Pirsig's influential book about one man's search for meaning on a motorcycle trip through the American West and an enduring roadmap for living a richer, more purposeful existence.

Sometimes it's better to travel than to arrive.

Robert M. Pirsig's narrative of a father and son on a summer motorcycle trip becomes a profound personal and philosophical odyssey into life's fundamental questions. A true modern classic, it remains at once touching and transcendent, resonant with the myriad confusions of existence and the small, essential triumphs that propel us forward.

With an Introduction by Matthew B. Crawford, bestselling author of Shop Class as Soulcraft.

A BEAUTIFUL PACKAGE WITH FLAPS: Featuring French flaps and a unique vivid cover design, each book in the collection is published as a deluxe trade paperback that is a part of a stunning series look.HARPER COLLINS AMERICAN CLASSICS: This series includes timeless novels, poetry, children's books, and groundbreaking nonfiction that has shaped American thought, literature, and identity across generations.AMERICA'S PUBLISHER: Since its founding in 1817, no American publisher has been so entwined in the history of American letters. Our books enrich, challenge, and defined the American spirit.AMERICA 250: The HarperCollins American Classics arrive in time for America's 250th anniversary celebrations.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0063481561
• ISBN13: 9780063481565
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Mariner Books Classics
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 16.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Hated

The motorcycle trip part was interesting. The "philosophical" parts made me wonder why on earth I was doing this to myself. I do not understand why this book was so popular with college classes back in the day.

3/4 flight of ideas, 1/4 brilliant story

I don’t know why but I started off with such high hopes for this book. The premise is beautiful, the storyline is intriguing, but the narrator makes me want to jump off a bridge. The main character is a former professor who is traveling by motorcycle with his son across the countryside. The story cryptically reveals his backstory throughout pages and pages of his inner dialogue philosophically rambling on and on.

I guess I'm the one person who hated it

I read this book after hearing rave reviews from family and friends. I found the narrator annoyingly self-absorbed and clueless. He ignored his young son, who was obviously just desperate for Dad's attention, until the end of the book. His essay on "quality" was meaningless to me. The only interesting part was his discussion of motorcycle mechanics.

Philosophical / Semiautobiographical Tract

Robert M. Pirsig's seminal work - "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" - is absolutely phenomenal in the German language! "Zen und die Kunst ein Motorrad zu warten" is a truly great achievement; the technical language of true motorcycle maintenance and the philosophical passages are crystallized so beautifully in German.