Product Description

An incisive examination of the central questions of philosophy - life, death, art, liberty and human obligation - through the eyes and mind of a biker.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97231 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 210 pages

- Derek Matravers is Head of the Department of Philosophy at the Open University, and also rides a Kawasaki GT750.
"Craig Bourne succeeds wonderfully in uniting his passions for philosophy,
biking and bad puns. Not only an introduction to a whole range of
philosophical problems, this excellent little book is also a meditation
about motorbiking and the life of a biker."

- Suzanne Ferriss, editor, International Journal of Motorcycle Studies (ijms.nova.edu), and co-author of Motorbike (Reaktion Books).
"A thought-provoking examination of philosophical issues relevant to
motorcycling, from aesthetics to justice and, ultimately, the nature of
death and existence."

Synopsis
From "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" to "The Motorcycle Diaries", to be a biker is to be on the road to the meaning of life. From ethics to existentialism, motorcycling raises some of life's biggest questions. What should our attitude be towards danger and death? Does riding shed any light on the nature of reality? Do we have any obligations towards the environment, humans and other animals? And can motorcycles be as much a work of art as a Michelangelo painting? Philosopher and motorcyclist Craig Bourne answers all these questions and more in this stimulating road trip through philosophy.

Customer Reviews

Function over form
This book is not only misleading - the title suggest a link between motorcycles and the meaning of life - but also a rather boring view on philosophy and law. The author uses the bike as a 'vehicle' to convey his rather pedestrian ideas to an unspecified audience. He also dismisses some classic motorcycle (he does not like the negative connotation of 'bike' - so sweet!) movies like 'The Wild One' and 'Rumblefish' because the bikes are only used to represent an idea of rebellious youth, not a purpose. In my view, the romantic notion of the motorbike is as much part of the attraction of a bike as the possibility to travel - and indeed gives more meaning to the biker's experience than just the pursuit of adventure. He then goes on to praise McGregor and Boorman for their real life expeditions, i.e. using the bikes to go places and experience life. Yes, followed by two 4x4 trucks filled with BMW spare parts, gophers and a personal doctor! The antithesis he is trying to paint is completely lost on me. The second star is added because his writing style is not bad. If only he had inspired me to make that summer bike ride instead of going on about why it makes sense to wear a helmet and why speed limits are there to be broken. You may want to read this book if you are interested in philosophy in general. Don't expect any inspirational biking stories. It is the cover photo in particular that suggests the latter.

Slow and Boring
If you enjoy riding then just ride - I read the first chapter and thought "why am I wasting my time with this" there is no need to analyse it to death.

Philosophical ravings
I expected a more palatable version of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance with reflections on what makes riding a motorcycle intriguing and unique, maybe using it as a metaphor for exploring life, individuality, focus of mind etc. Instead it is a rather lame framework for rehearsing predictable ethical debates: should we wear leather? should people be allowed to do dangerous things? and all from a rather unimaginative and conservative standpoint e.g. James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause would have been better off if he had some respectable cause to promote like workers' rights or something. I enjoyed more the snippets where the author tells us about falling off his Ducati.