Great post! Guess I'll have to include a section on Gumption in my book. Thanks for the idea.
Anyway, I have now heard about the zen of motorcycle maintenance so often, I'm starting to think I should read it even though I have no motorcycle, no workshop and as much practical skills as Clarkson.
It isn't really about motorcycle maintenance. Pirsig uses that as a common example in various places throughout the book. Its actually a philosophical novel, the subtitle is "An Inquiry into Values"
His later work Lila - is similarly subtitled "An Inquiry into Morals"
Great Post!I must absolutely read this Zen and the Art ...
Also, I have never played tennis but I read the book 'The inner game of Tennis' (W. Timothy Gallwey) and it was a very enlightening experience for me.
It seems some of these books somehow use the subject matter purely as a parable or metaphor that is so powerful, and they shine a light on a very core aspect of being.
I recommend the 'inner game of tennis' to anyone , even if you never hit a single ball in your life ...
I've read it several times, the first time being in highschool and the most recent being a few months ago. As I get older I've read it with a bit more skepticism about the novelty of his overarching ideas and the rigor of some of his reasoning but I always find the book full of valuable ideas and interesting food for thought.
Did the people from the 70s forget how to read now its 2013? ;)
I was born in '79 so although I was alive in 70s I wasn't really part of the whole free love movement or anything :)
I'm not sure its even that popular of a book for that cohort... I mean its a philosophical novel, what's the size of that market ever been?
There are certainly some things addressed in the book that aren't as applicable in a modern setting but the main thrust of the book investigates the intrinsic value or quality of things - That should always be applicable to future generations.
I read it first when I was in my early 20s. I seem to re-read it about every 5 years. Though some of the language is dated, I find the philosophical musing important enough to take the time to refresh in my mind. Finally, the "me" that I bring to the book is different every time I pick it up for the next re-reading...which is to say, I find that I relate to the text differently over time.
I just tried to read it, and had to quit when it started spouting all the pseudo religious advice as fact, and as a replacement for scientific inquiry.
When I read it, I was a young teenager in the 2000s. It was engrossing and mind-expanding, though perhaps I was more interested in 70s ideas than most.
Anyway, I have now heard about the zen of motorcycle maintenance so often, I'm starting to think I should read it even though I have no motorcycle, no workshop and as much practical skills as Clarkson.
But I did once sew on a button. I was very proud.