Description
First edition, first printing of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Value by Robert M. Pirsig.
Octavo, 412pp. Black hardcover, title in silver on black cloth spine. With number line listed through “1” on copyright page. Solid text block, light toning along top edge, near fine. Previous ownership stamp to half-title. In the publisher’s dust jacket, $7.95 retail price on front flap, light shelf wear, short closed tear to top edge. A very good example.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974) by Robert M. Pirsig is a philosophical novel that combines autobiographical elements with discussions on philosophy, particularly the concept of “Quality.” The book follows a motorcycle journey across the United States taken by the narrator and his son, Chris, while exploring themes of classical versus romantic approaches to life and technology. It introduces Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality, which challenges traditional dualistic thinking. The book became a national bestseller and remains an important work in philosophical literature.
