The story of how I discovered this book is an interesting one. I was talking with a colleague about how much we enjoyed Ryan Holiday’s books (if you haven’t checked out his books on Stoicism and virtues, I highly recommend them!). Another colleague overheard us and suggested Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, noting that it also delves into philosophy.
The title immediately caught my attention—Zen and motorcycles were never concepts I had thought of as being related. Since it wasn’t a book I had come across in my usual recommendation forums, my curiosity was piqued, and I decided to pick it up.
The book begins by telling the story of a motorcycle road trip (based on a true story) that the narrator takes with friends and his son. At first, I wondered if it was going to be a fable—a rather long one at that!—with philosophical ideas woven throughout, similar to The Alchemist or The 5 AM Club.
It didn’t take long for the narrator to introduce the differences between classical and romantic thinking, using a motorcycle as a brilliant example. The storytelling then splits into two parallel streams, alternating between the narrator’s physical journey on the road trip and his mental journey as he explores the concept of values. I appreciated this structure, as the philosophical inquiry required a lot of brainpower, and the road trip narrative provided much-needed breaks from the heavier discussions.
I felt that the book peaked around the middle, and I wasn’t as captivated by the second half compared to the first. This shift happened when the focus moved from values and classical vs. romantic viewpoints to an analysis of ancient Greek philosophers’ logic. However, this transition is essential to the plot, as it plays a significant role in the narrator’s character arc (which I won’t spoil here!).
Overall, I’m glad I read this book for its deep exploration of values. I’ve always understood that people value things differently, but the explanation of classical and romantic thinking helped me see them as two distinct lenses through which we can view the world. I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in philosophical concepts, especially those who enjoy the backdrop of an American road trip!