Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

The vivid chronicle of a journalist's heartfelt and determined journey to reconnect with a beloved modern American classic. In 1968, Robert Pirsig and his son, Chris, made the cross-country motorcycle trip that was the basis for Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a book that has inspired generations with its searching personal and philosophical narrative. After rereading the book at the onset of middle age, reporter Mark Richardson tuned up his old Suzuki dirt bike and became a Pirsig Pilgrim, one of the legions of fans who regularly retrace the author's route from Minneapolis to San Francisco. Richardson, like Pirsig before him, traveled the lonely roads of the American West, where he encountered many of the same people and places that inspired Pirsig. Richardson also corresponded with the reclusive author and his legendary editor, James Landis, and uncovered new details about Pirsig's mental illness, his unhappy celebrity, and his struggle to put his life together after the brutal murder of his son in 1979. Published to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of Pirsig's trip, Zen and Now is an intellectual adventure, a meditation on the values of a classic book, and an inquiry into its relevance to the complex and bewildering world we inhabit today.

Review :
Praise for Mark Richardson's "Zen and Now" ""Zen and Now" serves as a primer for both long-time devotees and newcomers to the Pirsig cult. It is also a harrowing account of the toll that the making of one man's masterpiece exacted not only on himself but on those around him. . . . The appeal of Pirsig's message-to make good time 'with the emphasis on "good" rather than "time,"'-seems to reverberate still. . . . "Zen and Now" is a reminder of how much pain it can take to make so many people feel better." -Eddie Dean, "The Wall Street Journal " "Assured and poetic. . . . A sort of Cliff's Notes version of the dense original, and as much of a biography of Pirsig as Richardson was able to piece together. . . . An enjoyable read. . . . Richardson is quite meticulous in describing the thoughts, sensations, even the superstitions many motorcyclists experience while riding." -Susan Carpenter, "The Los Angeles Times ""Richardson's strong narrative thread results in a page-t Praise for Mark Richardson's "Zen and Now": ""Zen and Now" serves as a primer for both long-time devotees and newcomers to the Pirsig cult. It is also a harrowing account of the toll that the making of one man's masterpiece exacted not only on himself but on those around him. . . . The appeal of Pirsig's message-to make good time 'with the emphasis on "good" rather than "time,"'-seems to reverberate still. . . . "Zen and Now" is a reminder of how much pain it can take to make so many people feel better." -Eddie Dean, "The Wall Street Journal " "Assured and poetic. . . . A sort of Cliff's Notes version of the dense original, and as much of a biography of Pirsig as Richardson was able to piece together. . . . An enjoyable read. . . . Richardson is quite meticulous in describing the thoughts, sensations, even the superstitions many motorcyclists experience while riding." -Susan Carpenter, "The Los Angeles Times ""Richardson's strong narrative thread results in a page-turner that does right by the original. "Zen and Now" is sure to inspire a new generation of riders and readers to pick up Pirsig's book and take to the open road in search of quality." -Vince Darcangelo, "Rocky Mountain News ""Fans of Pirsig's cult classic should read Richardson's book if they want the true story of the author. . . . Richardson digs deep to unearth the motives behind his tormented mentor's search for quality while embarking on a search of his own. . . . ["Zen and "Now is] an engrossing tale recounted with a journalist's attention to fact and an adventurer's appetite for the enlightening surprise." --Scott Driscoll, "Seattle Post-Intelligencer " "Most notably for fans of the original,"Zen and Now" pushes the story forward, through Richardson's correspondence with the interview-averse Pirsig, his editor, his ex-wife, and a second son, Ted, who has disavowed his relationship with his intense father." -James Sullivan, "The Boston Globe" "A good read. . . . Although Richardson is on the trail of Pirsig, this book is as much about his own status in the universe and who he is as a father and a human being. It is charmingly written, honest to a fault and as unpretentious as Pirsig's book was the opposite. "Zen and Now" invites the reader along on several levels; Richardson's research into Pirsig and his life is impeccable and the book is full of all kinds of interesting little nuggets." -Ted Laturnus, "Toronto Globe and Mail" ""Zen and Now "is a story worth telling, about a journey worth sharing-an entertaining, inspiring, and rewarding read." -Neil Peart, bestselling author of "Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road"