Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig is a seminal work that masterfully intertwines a personal travelogue with profound philosophical inquiry. The title, a playful twist on Eugen Herrigel's "Zen in the Art of Archery," suggests a focus on Zen Buddhism and motorcycle maintenance, but Pirsig clarifies that it is neither a treatise on Zen practices nor a technical manual on motorcycles.