A Guide to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

A Guide to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. It's a peculiar book, especially for a bestseller. Not a lot of it is actually about zen or motorcycle maintenance, it combines a travelogue, a father/son story, and philosophical musings, and the structure of its narration makes it hard to follow. Thus, it's the kind of book people often buy, start, and then put down without finishing.

That's initially what happened to Mark Richardson, an author and automotive journalist who was born in the UK but has lived most of his life in Canada. But when the book finally clicked for Mark, he was so inspired by it that he actually undertook Pirsig's motorcycle pilgrimage himself. Mark shares that story in Zen and Now, which intersperses stories from his own road trip with an exploration of Pirsig's life and famous book.

If you've wanted to read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but haven't been able to get into it, today Mark will offer an introduction to what it's all about. We discuss Pirsig's ideas on the metaphysics of quality and our relationship to technology, and how he tried to combine the ethos of Eastern and Western thought into a unified philosophy of living. We also get into why Mark wanted to recreate Pirsig's road trip, the joys of traveling by motorcycle, and what Mark learned along the way.

Resources Related to the PodcastConnect With Mark Richardson

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jaksot(1158)

#239: Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts

#239: Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts

With some thought and intentionality, you can help ensure that you have a happy, loving, fulfilling relationship that lasts until death do you part.My guest today is Les Parrot and he’s a clinical psy...

29 Syys 201650min

#238: Life in a Secular Age

#238: Life in a Secular Age

Philosophy professor Charles Taylor wrote a 900-page tome called "A Secular Age" in which he argues that secularity has more to do with a feeling of uncertainty about truth that pervades a culture in ...

27 Syys 201647min

#237: The Rise of the Sufferfests

#237: The Rise of the Sufferfests

For the past several years, you’d be hard-pressed to scroll through your Facebook feed, especially in the summertime, without seeing some of your friends posting pictures of themselves at the finish l...

24 Syys 201630min

#236: What the Generational Cycle Theory Can Tell Us About Our Present Age

#236: What the Generational Cycle Theory Can Tell Us About Our Present Age

In the 1990s, Howe, along with co-author William Strauss, published two books, Generations and The Fourth Turning, which set out a bold and fascinating theory: that history can be broken down into 4 p...

20 Syys 20161h 24min

#235: The Curious Science of War

#235: The Curious Science of War

My guest today on the podcast did a firsthand investigation of the fascinating history of military research and shared her findings in a highly readable and entertaining book. Her name is Mary Roach a...

16 Syys 201636min

#234: Haggling and Deal Making Advice From a FBI Hostage Negotiator

#234: Haggling and Deal Making Advice From a FBI Hostage Negotiator

Negotiation.If you’re like most people who grew up in the West, particularly America, negotiation might make you uncomfortable because it’s really not part of the culture. The price someone asks is us...

14 Syys 201653min

#233: Diet and Nutrition Advice From the Doctor of Gains

#233: Diet and Nutrition Advice From the Doctor of Gains

Today on the show, we cut through all the confusion when it comes to nutrition and fitness by talking to an actual Doctor of Gains. His name is Jordan Feigenbaum. He’s a Starting Strength Coach, diet ...

9 Syys 20161h

#232: Become the Chief Financial Officer of Family Inc.

#232: Become the Chief Financial Officer of Family Inc.

My guest today on the show argues that in order to get a big picture view of your finances, you need to start looking at your family as a business and yourself as the Chief Financial Officer of Family...

6 Syys 201634min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
psykopodiaa-podcast
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
adhd-podi
rss-narsisti
rss-rahamania
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
psykologia
aamukahvilla
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
rahapuhetta
rss-valo-minussa-2
kesken
jari-sarasvuo-podcast
mielipaivakirja
rss-tietoinen-yhteys-podcast-2
uskonnon-pitka-oppimaara
rss-eron-alkemiaa
rss-koira-haudattuna
rss-arkea-ja-aurinkoa-podcast-espanjasta