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Kid Berwyn

(21,902 posts)

117. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig

Mon Sep 1, 2025, 04:05 PM

Monday

The motorcycle we are working on is our selves and the ultimate direction is toward Quality -- and the more we understand it, the easier it is to understand how to get to where we deserve to be.

Two more works to share:

Space-Time and Beyond: Toward an Explanation of the Unexplainable by Bob Toben in conversation with Fred Alan Wolf and Jack Sarfatti

Considered science fiction when published in 1976. Seems freaking groundbreaking now.

Collected Fiction of Jorge Luis Borges

Borges shows us how important our imaginations are for where our futures will be.

PS: Most importantly, thank you to Heidi whose friendship means the world to me.

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Books that impacted your worldview? [View all] Heidi Aug 31 OP

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee cos dem Aug 31 #1

Thank you! That book was important for me, too. Heidi Aug 31 #2

Same. I went on to stufy róisín_dubh Aug 31 #22

Shocked me malaise Aug 31 #33

Gandhi: The Story of My Experiments with Truth ultralite001 Aug 31 #3

I will check that out! Heidi Aug 31 #4

Thanks for the reminder PatSeg Aug 31 #24

I try to read it once a year... ultralite001 Aug 31 #26

That's quite an endorsement PatSeg Aug 31 #29

Off the top of my head. Ping Tung Aug 31 #5

Catch-22 has a special place in my heart. Heidi Aug 31 #10

I first read it when I was in the marines in the early '60s. I laughed my ass of. Then I read it again. Ping Tung Aug 31 #11

He included a catch in every paragraph. Went mad cachukis Wednesday #155

I've finally met someone who has also read I Will Bear Witness! chia Monday #66

I find it to be the very best book on what fascism/nazism is really about. Ping Tung Monday #74

In addition to "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffer (a very insightful work), anciano Aug 31 #6

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa - Walter Rodney malaise Aug 31 #7

Excellent list. Heidi Aug 31 #9

Early readings peggysue2 Aug 31 #8

I love good literary fiction, Heidi Aug 31 #16

Yup peggysue2 Aug 31 #21

Wasn't a book but I took a university class Tree Lady Aug 31 #12

Very, very formative experience, I agree. Heidi Aug 31 #14

I was raised Presbyterian and mostly Tree Lady Aug 31 #17

The Arms Of Krupp by William Manchester berniesandersmittens Aug 31 #13

Thank you! I'd forgotten "Animal Farm." Heidi Aug 31 #15

Animal Farm malaise Aug 31 #18

"All animals are equal, but some ... Whiskeytide Monday #48

Machiavelli's The Prince TheProle Aug 31 #19

YES! Heidi Monday #49

Of course! TheProle Monday #116

Another vote from me for "The True Believer" by Hoffer. keep_left Aug 31 #20

Excellent recommendations! Heidi Monday #50

You're welcome. keep_left Monday #113

Open Veins of Latin America róisín_dubh Aug 31 #23

I haven't read Open Veins of Latin America. Heidi Monday #51

Books from early life Dave says Aug 31 #25

Very interesting list, Dave says. Heidi Monday #52

"Language in Thought and Action" by S. I. Hayakawa. Walleye Aug 31 #27

Isn't that the truth? Heidi Monday #54

The Terrible Secret by Walter Laqueur BlueKota Aug 31 #28

This sounds fascinating! Heidi Monday #57

The Real Book and Story justaprogressive Aug 31 #30

Just read the Wiki entry; will definitely be reading this novel. Heidi Monday #58

What a great topic! MorbidButterflyTat Aug 31 #31

Two books I've never even heard about! Heidi Monday #59

A few more: To Kill a Mockingbird; Spartacus; All Quiet on the Western Front Ping Tung Aug 31 #32

Both worth rereading. Heidi Monday #61

Ben And Me, a children's book that made me curious about looking at history a bit deeper for what I may otherwise miss Attilatheblond Aug 31 #34

What a lovely gift from your daughter! Heidi Monday #62

It IS a very cool introduction to Dr Franklin for kids. Lawson also wrote Mr Revere and I Attilatheblond Monday #76

'A Theory of Justice' by John Rawls Celerity Aug 31 #35

+1 for Shock Doctrine and Art of War nt berniesandersmittens Aug 31 #41

Excellent recommendations, Celerity. Heidi Monday #64

The Autobiography of Malcolm X. H2O Man Aug 31 #36

I was going to lead with that one myself NoPasaran Aug 31 #39

Love Carl Sagan MorbidButterflyTat Monday #43

Absolutely agree! Heidi Monday #65

A Team Of Rivals RainCaster Aug 31 #37

Thank you for the recommendation, RainCaster. Heidi Monday #68

When I was young, Calvin & Hobbes and Doonesbury. meadowlander Aug 31 #38

There are all kinds of ways to learn. Heidi Monday #72

Grapes of Wrath senseandsensibility Aug 31 #40

It was required reading in my family. Heidi Monday #75

Tao Te Ching tinrobot Aug 31 #42

Thank you, tinrobot! Heidi Monday #84

Don't laugh LeftInTX Monday #44

Why would anyone laugh? Heidi Monday #88

Thanks. My books aren't very sophisticated and were assigned reading. LeftInTX Monday #91

Oh, hon. Heidi Monday #95

I grew up in Wisconsin. I had a progressive education. LeftInTX Monday #106

That makes you even *more* Heidi Monday #108

One book turned my worldview upside down. Another Jackalope Monday #45

Well, that seals it. Heidi Monday #90

You'll regret it, but you won't regret it. Another Jackalope Monday #119

Black Like Me. DiverDave Monday #46

Yes indeed. Heidi Monday #82

The Whole Earth Catalog BluesRunTheGame Monday #47

Oh, wow! Heidi Monday #81

Catcher in the Rye, or johnnyfins Monday #53

I definitely need to reread The Catcher in the Rye Heidi Monday #83

Zinn - A Peoples History of the US JanMichael Monday #55

Can you believe that I first read The Handmaid's Tale Heidi Tuesday #120

The Jungle displacedvermoter Monday #56

Absolutely! Heidi Monday #73

The Corporate Ideal in the Liberal State - Weinstein bucolic_frolic Monday #60

Thank you so much! Heidi Tuesday #121

These are books about political change and shifting ideologies bucolic_frolic Tuesday #131

A few JustAnotherGen Monday #63

Thank you for your honesty, JustAnotherGen. Heidi Monday #70

Thank you JustAnotherGen Monday #99

Oh, don't *even* get me started Heidi Monday #101

Wow, what a great story, wonderful! betsuni Monday #114

Demon Haunted World Mz Pip Monday #67

YES to all three! Heidi Monday #97

The Straight Dope - Cecil Adams & The Book of Lists 1,2,3 Brainfodder Monday #69

Will check 'em out! Heidi Tuesday #122

Mine are kind of eclectic Mossfern Monday #71

Excellent list, Mossfern! Heidi Monday #79

When I was in grade 8, I read Frankenstein, then Rifles for Watie, then 1984 in the first month of school Swede Monday #77

Stand Watie is a hero where I grew up Heidi Monday #78

Autobiography of Malcolm X ALBliberal Monday #80

Changed my worldview. Heidi Monday #96

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson Scrivener7 Monday #85

Omg! We ordered that two weeks ago Heidi Monday #98

It's kind of devastating. I had to read it in sections and put it down at times. Scrivener7 Monday #109

My high school English teacher had us read Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye KitFox Monday #86

I'm so glad you're here, KitFox! Heidi Monday #93

"The Uses of the Past: Profiles of Former Societies" Golden Raisin Monday #87

Thank you! Heidi Monday #94

1. The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass, 2. The Life of Gandhi RandomNumbers Monday #89

Thank you, RandomThoughts. Heidi Wednesday #152

Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein. I was in grade 6, 7, or 8. "Beginner's Mind, Zen Mind" Shunryu Suzuki in my 20's Bernardo de La Paz Monday #92

Yup! Heidi Monday #100

I added the zen book. Slim volume, comes with a fly. Bernardo de La Paz Monday #102

Apostles of Disunion by Charles Dew. Sneederbunk Monday #103

Nonfiction about the South is important to me. Heidi Tuesday #123

Tnx. Sneederbunk Tuesday #128

So many. Against Our Will - Susan Brownmiller; Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee - Dee Brown; LoisB Monday #104

LOVE James Baldwin! Heidi Tuesday #124

Oh so do I. Baldwin should be required reading in every high school. You are very kind, thank LoisB Tuesday #142

Computer Lib: Dream Machines, by Ted Nelson (and others, Buddhist in nature) usonian Monday #105

Thank you, usonian! Heidi Tuesday #126

Depends on what you mean by World View... WarGamer Monday #107

Thank you! Heidi Tuesday #130

still hard to believe it's an ancient text. WarGamer Tuesday #132

Greath thread. Bookmarking to refer to it often for my booklist. Thanks! Scrivener7 Monday #110

Also: EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! EPSTEIN! Heidi Tuesday #133

Two books on the opposite spectrum LogDog75 Monday #111

I'm not a huge sci-fi consumer, but I love Asimov. Heidi Wednesday #153

Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor Wiz Imp Monday #112

LOVE ALL! Heidi Tuesday #138

I can't really think of a book that impacted my worldview and I feel a little weird about it. betsuni Monday #115

That's not weird. Heidi Tuesday #134

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig Kid Berwyn Monday #117

No words. Heidi Tuesday #135

The Ox-Bow Incident Ping Tung Monday #118

I *have* to read this! Heidi Tuesday #136

Here's the full movie on Youtube. Ping Tung Tuesday #140

You rock! Heidi Tuesday #141

Love the part at the end, with Fonda reading that letter... (nt) Paladin Tuesday #147

The New Testament GusBob Tuesday #125

Thank you! Heidi Tuesday #127

To kill a mockingbird uponit7771 Tuesday #129

It was my awakening about racial injustice. Today, I have mixed feelings. Heidi Tuesday #137

The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran spanone Tuesday #139

This book was a gift to me Heidi Tuesday #143

My mother gave it to me spanone Tuesday #144

Slaughterhouse 5 and Weinberg's The First Nuclear Era... NNadir Tuesday #145

Same here. Heidi Tuesday #146

Feminism Unmodified by Catharine MacKInnon Stargleamer Tuesday #148

I need to reread Catharine MacKinnon. Heidi Wednesday #157

"Be Here Now" by Babba Ram Das lark Tuesday #149

Yes, and "Grist for the Mill." Heidi Wednesday #150

Actually, my favorite book of all time. FalloutShelter Wednesday #151

Yes, an absolutely beautiful opening line. Heidi Wednesday #156

Thanks for adding that Gatsby quote. FalloutShelter Wednesday #162

Wrapped in the flag samplegirl Wednesday #154

Ohhhhh, I just read the publisher's synopsis and will definitely buy this! Heidi Wednesday #159

Huck Finn Topomi Wednesday #158

I received--as a gift--my late high school American literature teacher's desk copy of "Huckleberry Finn." Heidi Wednesday #160

Hobbes - and I don't mean the stuffed tiger (though I do own the boxed C&H)... sir pball Wednesday #161

So many great recommendations! Heidi Wednesday #163

Avec plaisir! sir pball Wednesday #166

Have three favs. First is The Ugly American by William Lederer and Eugene allegorical oracle Wednesday #164

Agree on all three! Heidi Wednesday #165

Feminist works that impacted my worldview Heidi Thursday #167