I got this intense craving lucky my gf was with me

It's true. I had this insatiable thirst to buy a certain book. The cover I am sure you can see by now. The weird parts are:

• I have read this book before. Once all the way through then reread certain portions since I made highlights and notes on the book itself.
• I thought this book was in the immediate vicinity (closet) but maybe it was my imagination
• The book first came out in 1974.

Thursday Sept 4

My search for the book has been fruitless. I had to go to National Bookstore anyway to buy TV Guide to help me know when football games are on so I search their Philosophy section (Greenbelt 1) for the book , not there. I then make the walk to Power Books and always chalk it up as more of an excuse not to exercise when I get home.

Being a typical guy, look for the book yourself is in my DNA and asking for help is only the last resort. Something appealing about the hunt. After looking at Inspiration, Religion, Philosophy and all point give in , I swallowed my pride and went to Customer Service. Once in while you find somebody paying attention to their work. I found one such woman on Thursday. I asked about my targeted book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." By Robert Pirsig. Right away she replied that it was not available in all their stores and was only on Special Order. Strike 1

I later told Jacque about my futility. Her first instinct was why I did not do these searches when I was with her. I told her it was a spontaneous craving but we can solve that problem when we meet....

Friday Sept 5.

Jacque and I met after her work and right away we searched the former Tower Records in Glorietta 3 and the bookstore next to it on the ground floor near CPK, Gloria Jeans and Hotshots Burgers. The mention of food outlets as reference points is no accident.

First stop, customer service told me the exact same thing I heard in Power Books the day before. But this one needed a computer to tell me that which only made me admirer Customer Service #1 even more. Second stop was a smaller bookstore so did not really expect much. Third stop was National near Park Square. Again, no such luck. So this brings us to

Saturday Sept. 6

First stop. A different Book Store in Serendra Fort Bonifacio. They did not have it. I found out though my aunt writes book reviews on the plastic seal covers of the books and they are always interesting to read. I mean reviews by someone you know. Still no Zen. Next stop, Fully Booked one minute walk away. If there is a bigger bookstore in the country , someone let me know. Again, macho style is look for the book yourself and no luck. Granted luck may not be the operative word. I then asked customer service. The woman behind the counter told me to wait since she did not seem to be able to handle it. So we just roamed a bit and came back. At that point my bad luck ended. Person #2 looked in the computer and walked me to same shelf I was at before. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. 3 different editions. To quote Kirstie Alley in Cheers "I'm too stupid to live". I thanked her and gladly paid for the book.

I hope to convince you that my time was well spent when I highlight certain concepts from the book. You may read what others have to say here:

http://www.virtualschool.edu/mon/Quality/PirsigZen/

http://www.alexandre.leroux.net/quotes/motorcycle.pdf

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0553277472

Ed

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

266 of 299 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Over 2000 Years of Wisdom in 373 Pages, May 2, 2000

By Walter V. Cicha "Cichacech" (Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews

(REAL NAME)

In my (1/e)*100 years on this planet, during which I devoured at least ten times as many books, I have read only two more than once - "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" is one of them. In this monumental 1974 work, Robert Pirsig has achieved what few others have managed before him and, to the best of my knowledge, nobody else has accomplished since: a perfect unification of philosophy, adventure and mystery. His "Chautauqua," or traveling tale, takes the reader on a profound tour of ancient Greek philosophy, the steppes of Montana, and even a little bit of Zen Buddhism, with endless surprises and much original if not truly inspired thought along the way. Through his self-portrayal by means of the unforgettable and eerily enigmatic character Phaedrus, Mr. Pirsig shares his far-reaching search for the meaning of life, and himself. His fundamental concern is with the following seemingly simple but in effect infinitely complex question: "How can one distinguish "good" from "bad?" The question is posed and addressed in many different forms throughout the book, and in the process the concepts of truth, value and quality are dissected, reassembled, and again dissected and reassembled many times. Mr. Pirsig has an uncanny sense of timing, and he never allows the heavier passages to labor on too long. This is avoided by craftily interspersing his philosophical discourse amongst very down-to-earth and charming observations made during a motorcycle trip that takes the narrator and his seemingly troubled son Chris from the American Prairies to the Pacific, and forms the prevalent background for the entire "Chautauqua." "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" is a totally unique creation. Not being one to lend himself easily to corny clichés, I nevertheless believe that this is one book that definitely could dramatically change your life, whether or not you believe in Zen or have ever sat on a motorcycle. If you love somebody, buy them this book

Comment Comments (3) | Permalink | Was this revie