Reddit mentions of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values

This is a discussion, and criticism is a part of that, however, I went through art school, and work in an artistic career, and a crucial tool in learning how to make "better" art is getting and giving detailed critiques that offer explanations for WHY something is failing or succeeding, instead of just stating that it is good or bad.

So, for instance:

> massive dip in quality.

What do you mean by this? My guess is that you don't exactly mean quality as in it being poorly written, acted, structured, etc, but that you aren't laughing, so something is wrong with the humor. Something about the writing isn't making you laugh.

So, let's try to pin down what it is that you used to like about the show.

• What season was the strongest?
  
• What episodes worked for you?
  
• What scenes made you laugh the most?
  
• Looking at all the things that you listed, what do those things have in common?
  
• How do the episodes that you liked differ from the current episodes?
  
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  As a total aside, if you've never read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", it's kind of related to this topic. It takes deep, perhaps overly so, dives into what we mean when we discuss the idea of "quality", and how it relates to all of our experiences, from relationships and love to machines and consumer products.
  Quote from it:
  > “The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you. There isn't any other test. If the machine produces tranquility, it's right. If it disturbs you, it's wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed.”
  
  

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance

It took me three months the first time I read it; it required a highlighter and notes in the margins.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a deeper understanding of values.

In the words of the author, "[This book] should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It's not very factual on motorcycles, either."

Thoreau: Walden, although non-fiction, may be the closest.

Ram Dass: How Can I Help, also non-fiction, has stories that are perhaps what you are looking for.

Ken Wilber One Taste. Wilber's meditative "journal" for a year. It's one of my 5 top books ever.

Ken Wilber: Grace and Grit. "Here is a deeply moving account of a couple's struggle with cancer and their journey to spiritual healing."

In another area are Carlos Castenedas books, which came out as non-fiction but there have been arguments they are fiction, and I don't know or mind either way. They are based on shamanistic drug use, but I believe it all is possible without drugs.

The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge

I have not read (Lila) Kate Wheeler's works, but I have heard of them. I've not read them mostly because if I can't get them at the library, I am too cheap to buy them.

Not Where I Started From

Nixon Under the Bodhi Tree is a collection of works and the authors there might lead you to more of their works.

I did read Bangkok Tatoo which has some Buddhist meditation themes in it, but it wasn't really to my liking.

The Four Agreements is said to be like Carlos Casteneda's books, but I have not read it.

Bottom line, I've read a lot, and I can't find any matches in my memory for Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. If I think of any I'll add it as an edit.

If you find anything interesting, please pm me, no matter how far in the future it is!

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Edit: as per the reply below, I've added here if anyone has "saved" this post:

I thought of two more, these actually should be higher on my earlier list:

The Life of Milarepa : "The Life of Milarepa is the most beloved story of the Tibetan people amd one of the greatest source books for the contemplative life in all world literature. This biography, a true folk tale from a culture now in crisis, can be read on several levels.... "

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance which was the start of all books titled, "Zen and the Art of ____." "One of the most important and influential books written in the past half-century, Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a powerful, moving, and penetrating examination of how we live . . . and a breathtaking meditation on how to live better."

First, actually find a therapist.

​

Second, since you probably won't actually find a therapist (even though you should), below are a few strategies that got me through my roughest patches in investment banking and private equity:

• Life will challenge you at every corner, a new career will also be stressful in its own right
  
• Maximizing every decision leads to undue stress, learn to satisfice (Barry Schwartz TED Talk on the Paradox of Choice)
  
• Learn to control your mindset to identify and note negative thought patterns (Headspace teaches Mindfulness -- try it for forty lessons and be amazed at your improved perspective)
  
• Treat yourself to purposeful rest every day. You probably don't have rest time every day. But when you have a bit of a weekend or a couple hours before bed, set aside a strict portion of that time for purposeful relaxation. Don't half-work -- watch TV, play video games, do something stupid and unproductive that makes you happy and relaxed.
  
• Stay fit, even if it's a couple core exercises, some foam rolling, and some stretching
  
• These books helped me: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Zorba the Greek, Seneca: Letters from a Stoic, Truth in Comedy

> What knowledge base should I build up so it’s not painful to talk to me?

None that you don't clearly already have.

> What common requests do you get that drive you insane?

Managers that treat estimates of how long something will take as a negotiation like they're haggling for a carpet in Marrakesh.

For the most part, things take as long as they take. Badgering an engineer into telling you that a 5 day task is really a 3 day task has no effect on how long it will actually take to do - it will just mean that you have less accurate information to work with.

> What fundamental principles of CS should I know that will help me understand the developer’s perspective?

None of them. If you want to understand the engineer mindset, read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that :(. Riding is defiantly a form of therapy. When you get on two wheels it's just you and the bike; you set set aside whatever thoughts may be going through your head and just focus on the ride. I would defiantly recommend Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance: an inquiry into values. Great read about what riding is about.

Don't let anyone tell you that you're selfish for wanting to ride. Get the bike and do what you've always wanted to do. I'm only 22; I hope I helped.

How about a repair manual full of words of advice for young people? Like https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469

> home server programming

Pfffft. That just sounds like setting up your home wifi and how we used to set up a LAN to share all our mp3s in a dorm/frat house.

But, for him, I'd think this or this or an AutoZone gift card.

I think it's worth restarting your reward loop by taking small steps.

I'm not sure what your situation is, but most people I've met who "lack drive" have trained themselves to dislike doing hard work and have gotten used to low-effort dopamine hits (here goes hand wavy psychology!). So fundamentally, you have to think about routines, habits, and projects that will help your brain appreciate doing hard work again, putting in the extra work / grit, and persevering and delaying when you feel that dopamine.

It may be worth focusing on setting some reasonable personal goals and creating / iterating on routines to help you meet those goals. These goals should be attainable but require effort.

Look around and think about what in your life you've given up on or no longer pursue because they're difficult / annoying to do.

Phase 1

Restart your reward loops that are lowest on Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

Some examples:

• Losing weight (if you're over weight), opposite if you're underweight. Set a realistic goal (lose 5 pounds in 1 month), track progress daily on a notebook / calendar (I prefer to get out of apps / screens for these simple things), and start / end your day looking at it.
  
• Improving your diet. Write down what meals you eat daily and try to make 1 improvement daily (skipping 1 junk food, 1 snack, reducing sugar, skipping sodas, etc).
  
• Reading a difficult book. Something that's difficult. Set a reasonable goal (1 month or 2 months) but hold yourself accountable to making progress daily.
  
• Agree to a set amount of chores and do them daily. Write down in a notebook every day
  
  Some even simpler examples:
  
  
• Make your bed every day. Take a photo and print it out. Every day, see your photos from the day before. As the pile builds up, you like seeing that chain. Your only goal is to not break the chain. Jerry Seinfeld was famous for talking about how he practiced comedy in this way - https://lifehacker.com/281626/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret
  
• Structure your computer / phone usage. Don't cut out social media and email day 1. Just delay when you let yourself check it. Check it at scheduled times (1 PM for 5 mins, 2 PM for 5 mins, etc). Avoid checking social media as a reaction to "I'm bored" or "I have 5 mins I'm in line". Practice rejecting giving your brain what it wants in the moment, and scale it up slowly (a great goal for many is no social media for an entire day!). Cal Newport's recent 2 books are great on this topic, here's a sample blog post: http://calnewport.com/blog/2016/02/16/write-an-attention-charter/
  
  By committing to chores, routines, and tracking goals and celebrating your progress with family (and explaining your high level plan like this), it's possible your parents are relieved and are more patient with you as you shift and improve.
  
  Phase 2
  
  Try to find a craft / skill that you want to get better that could one day lead to job. Look to the skills / jobs / etc you already have some knowledge about. People think being a barista is a dead-end job, but I know someone who worked their way up (got promoted yearly) from Starbucks barista to National Manager. I know someone else who got really deep into the craft of coffee, eventually starting their own roastery and coffee shop (and they sold for millions, etc). I recommend reading https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469
  
  If you become very good at a single craft (Cal Newport's book is great here - http://calnewport.com/books/so-good/) by doing sustained improvement, you can trade that unique skill / position for improved life traits (working less, more money, more creative work, more autonomy, more ownership, etc). But keep in mind that when you're starting out, you're at the "bottom" and you need to focus on just getting better. Another Cal Newport post coming your way (http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/11/12/the-pre-med-and-ira-glass-complicated-career-advice-from-compelling-people/). You may also find that you have multiple interests and instead of being top 5% of a single craft, you become top 25% in 2 or 3. Scott Adams (from Dilbert) talks about that here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2013/10/23/dilbert-creator-scott-adams-reveals-the-simple-formula-that-will-double-your-odds-of-success/#41a096f42dbc
  
  What else?
  
  I would say more, but to be honest doing all of the above \^ will be PLENTY for you to restart your outlook and habits. It takes time and if you can find a life situation that will allow you to be patient (staying with supporting parents at home is a great way to do this) and improve, then that's excellent. If you try living alone and changing your habits alone while also trying to scale up your job, it may be difficult. But who knows, I don't know you, and maybe the "wake up call" is actually what kickstarts your journey.
  
  I'll just end with:
  
  
• Don't beat yourself up if you "cheat" one day.
  
• Work with others to help keep you accountable. Trustworthy friends, parents, etc. Check in with them, keep them in the loop about both your wins and struggles.
  
• Explore and try to learn as much as you can. Learning something new is hard and is uncomfortable and you'll want to just check texts or social media (or w/e distracts you), but learning to love the learning process is the ultimate life skill / source of fulfillment.
  
  Okay this has gone on too long, I thought I was only leaving a 1 paragraph reply ><

At first I thought you were making a reference to this book.

Do you really want to be a mechanic? Most people suck at new things until they get enough practice at it. BUT, if it is overly frustrating, yeah, maybe find something else.

I'm probably going to come to the same conclusion after I start my veggie garden but I'm going to at least try. I'll probably be feeding all of the critters that live in my yard instead of myself.

“When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called a Religion.”

― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

At /r/atheism we like our quotes to be real.

I see Banner's gamma poisoning hilariously impeding Sith training. Think about it- any time Bruce tries to "give into his anger" he goes big and green, which isn't exactly a Force technique. Dark Side training might even do Bruce some good in preventing Hulk-outs.

Jediron Man ends up writing "Zen and the Art of Power-Suit Maintenance."

Tony Sith gets some nice synergy bonuses between alcoholic self-loathing, ptsd, and the Dark Side and between Force-Lightning and power for his suits, so that's really handy.

I randomly came across this book,

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060589469/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_luTqybJZ9JNNA

and everything just clicked. This book outlines the connection between man and machine and will bring a different meaning to riding.

The second part gets a bit spiritual but the first half is an amazing read for any rider.

Pirsig's famous Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance has an entire lengthy chapter on the methods of employing "just". Great philosophy book about Man's irrational behavior towards technology.

If you like philosophy and/or psychology, I'd recommend Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

I've been looking to pick up a few motorcycle-based books lately. So far I've come up with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga. Are there any other books you guys would recommend?

have you read Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance?

Definitely need to read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, although it has less to do with motorcycle maintenance than it does with everything else.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Or if you want to know how to fix/maintain/repair specific issues, buy the specific service manual for your bike. You can get the one from the manufacturer, which are usually around $100, or get the Haynes or Clymer manual, which are usually $25-$40. It certainly doesn't hurt to have both.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance
Buy it, read it. Pirsig did an amazing job on this book. It's got pretty much nothing to do with motorcycles realistically but it's a study in psychology, morals and thought from the head of a rider on a ride across the US. Do it.

I'm taking a shot in the dark with this one, but what about Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?

You could also check out this brew starter kit.

What else stands out about him? How does we decorate, style or design preferences, etc.?

Replying to your final edit bro.

​

I hope you learn from this. But honestly I am just unpacking my own shit.

​

I've lived in 3 different states, 5 different countries and been in dozens more. 3 stints of zero income. Poor, well-off, poor, rich, broke. I've read my stoics and my Tao, met interesting people and fucked women that are not my wife. I am a serial addict, gambler, artist, entrepreneur and in every way a dumb motherfucker who has chased every color of dragon to the ends of the fucking earth and back.

​

I know what it is to make a comeback and what it is to slip the noose for a time.

​

A comeback is when the artist reinvents themselves. They accept their art has become stale and they change medium or play with the old one in a new way. They legitimately find some fun and purpose in it. Fans are quick to detect trying to randomly inject novelty. And that's one reason you shouldn't be doing it for the fans.

​

When an artists does make that legitimate transformation. They always get new fans. There are always people out there looking for a fresh new sound. Some of the old ones might even turn around. But they are more likely to not get it. But fuck them, maybe you were stuck in a rut trying to please them anyway.

​

Doing it for real is hard work and it takes time.

​

The point is, long term, as long as you end up producing Quality, even the harshest critic will look back and say "ya know, I didn't see it then but that was a real vintage record.".

​

A real critic will do that while acknowledging it is not their cup of warm piss.

​

But I am not a music guy, I am thinking of some post-modern novelists I enjoyed and maybe the critics are different.

​

Anyway.

​

Why I do not think you are inventing that rare, fresh new sound: your in-laws.

​

In the back of my mind somewhere, I always disliked my in-laws, thought I was better than them, thought they were judging me. All that good stuff. Wasn't that big a deal because we traveled and had little to do with them, so fuck them right?

​

When I washed up on THEIR couch. I humbled myself. Internally.

​

Fake it till you make it bro. But that internal humility is the only way you can know when you are doing what it takes while acknowledging things are what they are.

​

I took out their garbage. I cooked. I spoke respectfully to them. I had have a thousand reasons excuses why I ended up there and how temporary it would be but I swallowed my pride and CHOSE to think respectfully about them.

​

They owned the couch. They earned the right.

​

They got to see me at my lows. They got to see me hustle everyday. They got to see me work like [a word you can only say on 4chan], get a plan, get a home, get our lives back. They got to see me on the days I believed in it and they also saw the days I gritted my teeth to get through it.

​

They let me do what I needed to do and we all moved on.

​

I would like to think that I earned their respect.

​

But THEY earned MINE the first day I sat my three-time-loser-ass down on their couch.

​

Now I highly recommend blowing up your life over staying in a rut.

​

But you are just heading to let yours wither on the vine.

​

If you find yourself incapable of aligning your actions with other people's actions and earning their respect when you are down, or you think that a new job has saved your shit life, and "attaboys!" from your boss are worth a fuck, you are just going to drift from disaster to disaster when the going gets tough.

​

You are stating on record that you are doing this.

Fact.

You are never going to write a book if you can't hold down a shit job.

Fact.

Simply running away to another state is not bold or courageous in anyway.

Fact.

You are never going to win the critics that matter if you can't face down the ones that don't.

Fact.

You are never going to BE the critic that matters while you're burying the criticism with your ego.

Fact.

You are not talking about making a comeback right now.

Fact.

​

Best case you give away a few free tickets to a sad "evening with a has-been" event that no-one is going to go to. Find the "alpha" that is authentically fulfilled by that.

​

This is NOT what it takes to nuke your life into black glass and start over.

Fact.

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469

It's rad, but avoid hallucinogens as you near the end.

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469

Followed you over here from RBN.

Some of the best novels about narcissism IMO don't ever mention the actual word itself. Instead, they're about the ins and outs of emotional manipulation. These immediately come to mind:

• Damage, by Josephine Hart
  
• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig
  
• The Magus, by John Fowles
  
  They're all fairly intense books about the depths of self absorption and manipulative rationalization.
  

I guess I have been a bit unclear in my post, but then again, Wikipedia is misleading in that aspect, Sōtō Zen Buddhism (Japanese) is different from Buddhism (India/Tibet/etc) and still very different to the modern schools of Zen.

I.e: Prajnaparamita is very different from Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Looks like you could use some direction in a comforting form. Some books to consider:

The Tao of Pooh

A great little book to get you to look at things differently at times. I wont go deep, but I think the reviews on amazon give you a good idea of what to expect. It's quite short as well, so it wont be some huge commitment.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

This is not a manual for repairing motorcycles. No, it's a work of fiction that helps you find a more "zen" approach to live. Have you seen "The Big Lebowski"? Yeah, it defends the values in finding peace in the world around you, even if things don't always go smoothly.

Invisible Monsters

Finally a book for embracing and confronting that anger and hurt you have built up. Palahniuk is just the author for the job. Don't read the synopsis and DON'T get the silly remixed version of the book. I've known people who have found this book life changing. It seems to really speak to women.

Barbara Tuchman was brilliant writer of history.

Albert Camus was a brilliant absurdist philosopher and novelist.

Jared Diamond has written some brilliant books at the intersection of anthropology and ecology. Another good book in this genre is Clive Ponting's A New Green History of the World.

Gwynne Dyer is an acclaimed military historian turned journalist on international affairs who has written a number of very engaging books on warfare and politics. His most recent book Climate Wars is the ONE book I would recommend to someone, if so limited, on the subject as it embodies both a wonderful synopsis of the science juxtaposed against the harsh realpolitiks and potential fates of humankind that may unfold unless we can manage to tackle the matter seriously, soon. Another great book on climate change is Bill McKibben's Deep Economy.

For social activists interested in ending world hunger and abject poverty, I can recommend: Nobel Prize winning economist Amartya Sen's Development as Freedom; Nobel Prize winning micro-financier Muhammad Yunus' Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism; UN MDG famed economist Jeffrey Sach's End Of Poverty; and Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea

For anyone of Scottish heritage, I heartily recommend Arthur Hermann's How The Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World and Everything in It

For naval history buffs: Robert K. Massie's Dreadnought.

Last, but not least: Robert Pirsig's classic Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Enjoy!

First off, thank you--I always appreciate commentary from teachers/professors/academics/educators on reddit--the insight is invaluable, and you clearly know your stuff. This looks to be a wonderful curriculum, and I hope to be able to work my way through it or something similar eventually; after all, money's tight for me right now as a student.

Second, you say you prefer the topical approach, so maybe you could speak to this: my primary reason for posting is that last year I read Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and thoroughly enjoyed it. Recently, I had time to read it's sequel, Lila: An Inquiry into Morals and found it to be even more complete argumentatively-speaking. Almost all of his points were genius in my opinion, but what I found most compelling was the manner in which he argued that modern scientific reasoning is a flawed, incomplete way of looking at the world. I suppose on the surface you could call it epistemological, but he also engages metaphysics and ethics heavily in these two books. I'm fascinated by Pirsig's work, but just feel as though I need to be more well-read in these areas to really engage with it and better evaluate it's merit.

The Zen of Motorcycle Maintenance http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0060589469/

The journey begins! Welcome to the club man, there's no going back. I highly recommend buying the shop manual for your bike and perhaps this book. Both will give you a good idea on how to maintain your motorcycle and fix majority of the problems you run into while saving you money! Not to mention the satisfaction of doing your own work.

Definitely get a set of frame sliders asap! I don't know a single person that hasn't dropped their bike at one time or another. The first bike i had i dropped pulling into my brothers gravel drive way literally 5 minutes after buying it. My second bike (SV) I've dropped once from losing my footing and again not putting the kickstand down entirely. Only thing you can do is laugh and do your best not to do it again. This might be helpful to! Best of luck to you, ride safe out there!

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Eines der für mich einflussreichsten Bücher die ich je gelesen habe.

Spoiler: es hat relativ wenig mit Motorradwartung zu tun.

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469

I don't like to promote woo-woo but Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance ( which isn't about Zen and isn't very factual about motorcycles either according to the author's intro) helped me at a point in my life where I had to bridge the chasm between being raised by fundie parents and the wider world of philosophy.

I went through a heavy Watts phase in college. A few of his books are just transcriptions of his lectures. Become Who You Are is probably my favorite. Most of what he's doing is taking concepts of mindfulness and self from Eastern traditions like Buddhism, and explaining it through a Western style of understanding.

If you like Watts, you would probably like Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. Very similar tones, except this is more of a universal parable.

I'm not sure if people still read this book, but Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was pretty influential for me.

Design with Nature by Ian McHarg

I started reading this one a while ago, but was sidetracked by life and it sat collecting dust. I just started it again, but haven't gone very far. This book is supposed to be the bible for planners and landscape architects, so I'm excited to get back into it.

I just finished reading Need for the Bike by Paul Fournel. This book is a collection of short stories and musings written by a lifetime cyclist. He does an amazing job conveying feelings associated with biking and I devoured this book much quicker than I expected. My wife bought it for me for Christmas because it was supposed to be similar to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values, another book I really enjoyed.

I also finally finished The Landscape of Man, which I had been working through. I still don't see how this one was supposed to impact me as much as others claim it should, but it was an interesting read.

For traders, Mandelbrot's The Misbehavior of Markets for a dose of humility.

Taleb's Black Swan talks about an investing strategy that seems relevant to crypto: keep mostly low-risk liquid assets and invest small amounts in things that can pay off big.

For developers, this is a weird one but my all-time favorite is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

If you get a chance, grab this book for your next tour.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418000780&sr=1-1&keywords=zen+and+the+art+of+motorcycle+maintenance

Do not look upon work as something that is outside of you, or a chore. Your labors must be of you, and include your mindset, because the end result is almost wholly dependent of the mindset of the laborer.

Among other philosophies and tenets of Quality...

And another book that may be a bit simple in its approach, but still has some important ideas, Fuck It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way. http://www.amazon.com/It-The-Ultimate-Spiritual-Way/dp/1401927599

There's something very freeing about being able to just say "fuck it" about something that's giving you frustration. I've found that after saying it, and really meaning it, the true solution becomes apparent.

Either go to your local library and check out, buy, or pm me your info and I will send you this book.

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469

I promise.

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/0195374614

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469

http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280

Are all interesting books at your place in life.

As I've said, if you need to chew someone out at random, be my guest, my self esteem can take it. However, I think you could use something more helpful in the long term. This might help you somewhat in regards to your anger, as it's been helpful to mine.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is an old favorite.

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469

I also liked the dude and the zen master. Probably wasn’t taken seriously but the “dude” character is my spirt animal 😂

I recently got zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance . I haven’t started it yet but I love Zen and motorcycles so should go over well with me

I got your list right here:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - great story about finding your way in life, destiny, etc. One of my personal favorites and a real life changer for me personally (read it when I was 14, very impressionable)

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominigue Bauby - memoirs of a magazine editor who has a stroke and goes from being a hot shot playboy to being paralyzed. He loses all motor function and the whole book is written by him blinking out the letters. Despite it all he has a razor wit and such a positive outlook it really makes you think about your own life and what is important to appreciate.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig - kind of an interesting book that gives you a historical breakdown of philosophy all through a somewhat biographical story about a motorcycle trip with his son. Has some really insightful views on what is quality and what is the point of education. Highly recommend for anyone just starting college.

Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman by Richard P Feynman - Autobiography/memoir of one of the greatest minds to ever live. From learning how to pick locks while working on the manhattan project, experimenting with acid, and learning the bongos. Dr. Feynman has such a passion for life, science, and learning it's contagious. Seriously, just see how excited he gets about rubberbands.

This book seems to have the best reviews on Amazon (of similar books).

Also, I couldn't let it pass...check out Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a great work of fiction.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and its follow-up Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals

mirando: Robot & Frank. Me gusto mucho, aunque esta es la segunda vez que la miro.

escuchando: ESTA. Me fascina Yasuko Omori.

leyendo: Estoy leyendo "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". Esta bueno. Es sobre un viaje en motocicleta de un padre y su hijo. Durante el viaje el papa hace un analisis sobre los valores, sobre lo que es bueno y lo que no lo es, sobre la calidad de las experiencias en la vida. Escrito en 1974.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. This is one of the most important books I've ever read.

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.

AND

Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance By Robert Prsing

Both books have ideas that influence the way I think since I have read them. Zen Art also is a character with a mental illness and how it influences his really deep thoughts about life.

Only The Three Pillars of Zen and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance so far.

Meditations is a great book. That's one of the only books I'll almost always have on me. I've been focused on coding books lately, but otherwise I'll often pick that book up if I have a few minutes to read.

Regarding habit building and practicing, there were a few books I've skimmed over the years regarding that topic, but a lot of them feel like they're saying the same thing. Many habit forming books are a bit more like a self-help book, which is totally fine of the book gives you ideas and insight that you apply in order to acquire the results you want in life.

I'm a bit more interested in science and philosophy for 'managing myself' style books, so I have two recommendations.

Buddha's Brain - This book talks about meditation and mindfulness from a neuroscientific perspective. It shares ideas and practices based on facts and does a fantastic job of connecting a lot of 'woo woo' meditation gospel to measurable changes in the brain. You'll learn about ways you can train your brain while learning about what's going on under the hood, that way it isn't just about finding your center (which is a bit too abstract for me).

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - This is possibly one of the greatest philosophy books ever written (in my incredibly limited opinion). It's a story about a guy traveling on a motorcycle across the country with his son. During the trip, you get to follow along with the guy's deep trains of thoughts as he mentally works through an enormous body of thought surrounding ideas like values and quality.

The first book is more practical. You'll get step-by-step methods for meditating and nurturing the growth of your brain, and those ideas can also be applied to forming habits. Forming habits can also be thought of as training your brain to handle routine tasks with as little resistance as possible. If you're trying to exercise more often, resistance might pop up in the form of "I'm tired" or "This is uncomfortable" or "I can skip today and start up again tomorrow". Ideas like that take practice to notice and disregard in order to move forward with something you know you should do but may not fully want to at that moment. Overcoming those internal objections is quite possibly one of the hardest steps in the process of forming habits because your mind will come up with all sorts of escape routes to get away from something that makes you feel uncomfortable (like exercising for the first time in a while). Discipline is the act of staying with the habit by catching yourself when you start looking for these escape routes.

The second book is still plenty practical if you give the content the time and patience it deserves. There were a lot of points in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance where I had to put it down for a few days and think through what I just read. It's a deep book, but it has the potential to give you an idea that could fundamentally change the way you approach skill development and application.

Enjoy!

Reminds me of This book.