Zen and the Art of Inspiration.
 

Sad to read of the demise of Robert Pirsig yesterday - probably best known as the author of Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Anyone who's tried to read the book will know that it took a little perseverance to get through it but I found a lot in it and have gone back to it a number of times over the years.

It didn't sound like he had the easiest of personal lives, particularly in the 60's and 70's with mental health issues and more recently with failing general health. RIP and my sympathy to his family.

Was very saddened to hear of Robert's passing - I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance during my first solo bike tour and really loved it - the below picture's from that trip, taken in a campsite somewhere in the Alps after a long day on the bike.

Will certainly read it again at some point - an interesting take on the world.

R.I.P Robert

https://jfevog-ch3301.files.1drv.com...&cropmode=none

I did not discover Pirsig's Zen/MCM until about 1982 or so. (Zen MCM was first published in 1974) I loved the maintenance/travel part but struggled (like many did apparently) with the technical philosophic semantics.

A few years later came Ted Simon's easy reading Jupiter's Travels, which really brightened up my travel horizons. Turned out to be a popular book even to the non riding public. A good read.

Both inspirational reads ... where are todays Ted Simon's? Most the new stuff I've read is truly amateurish crap, with only a few exceptions. (Dan Walsh being one ... but he hasn't written anything in 10 years.)
doh