23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
Helpful, 2003-01-26
The inclusion of edited material from ZAMM was welcome. I found I was distracted when I was actually reading ZAMM andreferencing the guidebook. My suggestion - read ZAMM completely then refer to the guidebook to explore a section more deeply. The reviews of ZAMM were of passing interest, from the early reviews published after the book's release to later ones and their criticism.
I'm not a deeply devout person of any given persuasion, so the religious comparisons and references were of lesser importance. I think they would be helpful if one were looking to delve deeper into Buddhism or other philosophy. This Guidebook DID ADD to my overall understanding and enjoyment of ZAMM.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
An essential bring-along for the ZMM, 2000-11-29
For fans of ZMM, this is an incredible book that summarizes various aspects of the ZMM book. First and foremost, it gives you the necessary background on philosophy to get a better understanding of where the Pirsig is coming from.Secondly, it is great studying material for those of us who're interested in getting deeper into the issues that Pirsig gets to in the ZMM. Particularly, I liked the section in this book that relates Quality with Taoist principles.
A must have!
It can be read without reading ZMM, BTW.
60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
An essential bring-along for the ZMM, 2000-11-28
For fans of ZMM, this is an incredible book that summarizes various aspects of the ZMM book. First and foremost, it gives you the necessary background on philosophy to get a better understanding of where the Pirsig is coming from.
Secondly, it is great studying material for those of us who're interested in getting deeper into the issues that Pirsig gets to in the ZMM. Particularly, I liked the section in this book that relates Quality with Taoist principles.
A must have!
It can be read without reading ZMM, BTW.
78 of 82 people found the following review helpful:
Highly recommended companion to Pirsig's book, 1999-06-21
Additional background material, both philosophical and historical, really illuminates the original Pirsig book. The bonus is sometimes startling insights, and new questions (often unanswered for the reader to work out). Think of it as an informal but well-written textbook by teachers who care both about the material and the student. It lures the reader into further self-study in epistemology, metaphysics, aesthetics, and ethics. Contains valuable passages that were edited out of the original Pirsig book.
21 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
The best. Ever., 1998-08-03
Very profound. Not many books make you think like "Zen ..." does. Heightens the pleasure of reading by adding the dimension of thought to it. 'Phaedrus' leaps off the pages of the book to stay with you for the rest of your life...and perhaps beyond too. Keeps up to its own high quality values. If you liked "Zen ..." I would recommend "LILA" by Robert Pirsig which is another masterpiece.