Andrew, I can't believe that you or the "many reviewers" referenced actually read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". I've read it twice now, not (just) because I like the writing, which I do, but because it is a heavy read, for me anyway, and I wanted to make sure that I really understood what Pirsig was saying. I think I "got it" but as even he says in the first page of the book, it really has nothing to offer about motorcycle maintenance and not much about Zen either. It surely isn't about the notion that "we should all set up as skilled independent contractors doing work that is results-oriented and provides the intrinsic satisfaction of the exercise of skill for its own sake". I think a lot of people make assumptions because of the euphonious title, and because it is not a light read (again, for me) it is a lot like A Brief History of Time. Many more copies graced table tops or "to read" piles than actually got wrestled with buy the buyer, I suspect.