Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a book we’ve featured before on Silodrome, it’s one of those must-read paperbacks that tends to quickly find a permanent place on the bookshelf of anyone who’s read it.
The book was written by author and motorcycle enthusiast Robert M. Pirsig, a highly educated man with degrees in chemistry, philosophy, and journalism. At age 9 Robert had his IQ tested and scored an astonishing 170, he would skip multiple grades in school, graduating at the age of 14.
Robert and his son did a two-up motorcycle journey from Minneapolis to San Francisco and this book, his first, is a semi-autobiographical look at the journey and a series of philosophical subjects far beyond it.
When Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was first released it was compared to the writings of Dostoevsky, Broch, Proust, and Bergson, and many proclaimed it to be an instant classic. Looking back now 40 years later it’s clear they were right.
Robert passed away last year at the age of 88, he had a fascinating and oftentimes difficult life, but his impact on the world though his books and associated works will carry on unabated. If you haven’t yet read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance you owe it to yourself to get a copy and add it to the bookshelf – once you’ve read it cover to cover of course.
Ben Branch has had his work featured on CNN, Popular Mechanics, the official Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with millions of readers around the world and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
Tim Caraco has made a name for himself in recent years by capturing the zeitgeist of the 21st century chopper/bobber scene in America, Australia, and Europe. The hardcover book is 148 pages long and it includes a huge array of bespoke photography as well as the work of world class builders like Max Schaaf, Chase…
Feel: My Story is the autobiography of motorcycle racing legend “Fast” Freddie Spencer. When it comes to the autobiographies of racing drivers (and riders) the books tend to fall into one of two categories, they’re either a little dry and dreary or they’re fascinating reads that you can barely put down. This book by Fast…
Arsèn Manukyan, aka Arsenio, is an artist with a long history that belies his relatively young age of 29. He moved from Armenia to the UK with his family as a refugee when he was 16 years old, he was initially unable to go to university or work due to visa restrictions – so he…
This Porsche writing desk was handcrafted from American walnut and fitted with 100% original Arctic Silver Porsche body panels. The desk is the work of 3 GJB 17, a boutique French company that specializes in turning vintage car parts into the kind of modern furniture that industrial designers lust after. Only 3 of these desks were…
This Boeing 747 Wheel Table by Plane Industries is more or less exactly what it says on the tin – it’s an authentic Boeing 747 alloy wheel that’s been meticulously rebuilt into what is undeniably one of the greatest coffee tables money can buy. Each wheel is sourced directly from the airline industry, wheels that…
The Speakeasy is the latest offering from Fitzke Wood Boards, a small Minnesota based company run by Kevin Fitzke. Kevin was born and raised in Minnesota, known as the land of 10,000 lakes (which he spent countless days exploring), and he spent much of his life admiring the sleek mahogany speedboats of the 1930s. In…
