One of the most important and influential books written in the past half century robert m pirsigs zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance is a powerful moving and penetrating examination of how we live and a breathtaking meditation on how to live better here is the book that transformed a generation an unforgettable narration of a summer motorcycle trip across americas northwest undertaken by a father and his young son a story of love and fear of growth discovery and . Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance an inquiry into values is a book by robert m pirsig first published in 1974 it is a work of fictionalized autobiography and is the first of pirsigs texts in which he explores his metaphysics of quality pirsig received 126 rejections before an editor finally accepted the book for publication and he did so thinking it would never generate a profit it was subsequently featured on best seller lists for decades with initial sales of at least 5 . Zen und die kunst ein motorrad zu warten zen und die kunst ein motorrad zu warten originaltitel zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance ist ein werk des us amerikanischen autors robert m pirsig aus dem jahr 1974 es ist eine mischung aus roman autobiographie und philosophischer abhandlung. Robert m pirsigs zen the art of motorcycle maintenance is an examination of how we live a meditation on how to live better set around the narration of a summer motorcycle trip across americas northwest undertaken by a father his young son