Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

I first read ZAMM when I was in high school and upon reading it, it opened up this flood of ideas and emotions that up until then, I had thought of, and felt, but had not seen on paper. I always asked the question, and continue to, to this day, whether living in the moment, or constantly questioning, is the best way to live. Pirsig's philosophical novel helped me to discover that perhaps the two ways of living do not need to be independent of one another, however they should both be used when appropriate as to live the fullest life that is possible. Underlying every single thing in Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is the question, "How do you live the best life possible before you die?" Furthermore, Pirsig is constantly questioning what is our place on this Earth? He's asking the oldest question, "What does it all mean?"
I decided to read this book again, because the philosophical notions are not something you read once and then put back on your shelf to not view again. The Questions Robert Pirsig asks are immense, and the way you view them constantly shifts as you age. I look at the questions he raises far differently as a twenty year old, than I did as a seventeen year old, and I'm sure if I pick this book up at age twenty-five or thirty, I will again look at things differently. What is incredible, and timeless about this book, are the questions Robert Pirsig asks. The questions have existed for years, and how we view them changes as we age. ZAMM also serves to remind us not to lose focus on things that are not important, as at the end of the day, whether you live a Romantic lifestyle or a Classical one, or a mixture of the two, you are still living a conscious life, and it seems that that is the most important gift one can give to their self. Life is not something permanent, and it is truly, very short and there are no guarantees that there is anything after we die, and therefore it is important to live each day to its fullest and find Zen in the everyday activities. As humans, we have to live in the moment, Romantically and Classically, and appreciate that moment, as it is all that we have.
This book is incredible in that it is not only a classic piece of literature and philosophy, but the ideas it discusses were so groundbreaking during the time. It discusses mental illness, an incredibly taboo subject, and discusses the idea of how to live the best possible life, and how to find the eternal, universal truths in our lives in a time where Richard Nixon was about to end his tenure as president. This book is about the search for the eternal truth of our life, and the best way to live and I think the concepts are that simple, and in their simplicity they tear down the barriers that are in our minds.