"Not everyone understands what a completely rational process this is, this maintenance of a motorcycle. They think it's some kind of a "knack" or some kind of "affinity for machines" in operation. They are right, but the knack is almost purely a process of reason, and most of the troubles are caused by what old time radio men called a "short between the earphones," failures to use the head properly. A motorcycle functions entirely in accordance with the laws of reason, and a study of the art of motorcycle maintenance is really a miniature study of the art of rationality itself. I said yesterday that the ghost of rationality was what Phædrus pursued and what led to his insanity, but to get into that it's vital to stay with down-to-earth examples of rationality, so as not to get lost in generalities no one else can understand. Talk about rationality can get very confusing unless the things with which rationality deals are also included."
From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, one of the very best books I've ever read (and am currently re-reading)
6 comments:
That is an excellent book and one to read aloud to a willing partner. DaNeece?
Catalyst - I'll have to ask her. :)
I always wanted to read that book. Good quote.
Melissa - I would definitely recommend it. It is right up there with 'Illusions' on my list of thought-provoking books.
I would recommend keeping a notebook handy while reading both, as you will definitely come up with some things to analyze as you go through them. :)
Illusions? You've got to be fuckin kidding me. JUST yesterday, I had an email exchange with a fellow food blogger because I noticed Illusions was only one of two books on her favorite books section of her profile. And I was like "no way! I don't know anyone else who has read that book!" Go figure. ;)
My dad was a Bach fan. I read it when I was 13 and it's still on my shelf to this day.
Cloud zapping...
Illusions always comes up that way. When I was recommending it to another good friend of mine, he had heard about it two days before from a professor of his. He was totally going to blow the recommendation off until I brought it up again. I sent him my copy, and he loved it. I have yet to get it back.... :)
We had it as a books on tape when I was a kid, and used to listen to it on road trips. 15 years later and I interrogated my mom for the name of it, and read the book for myself, and loved the heck out of it. :)
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