Robert Pirsig is a talented writer and I really enjoy the whole "Phaedrus" thing, although the mystery of who or what Phaedrus is left me ambivalent at times.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values grabs you narratively and keeps you engaged. I thought the whole Chataqua premise was corny and unnecessary.
His discussion of science and quality was excellent. I do agree that intelligence is often held against you and undervalued in American society. I too do not always understand the gatekeeping that goes on within academia, although I do appreciate it better now than I used to.
I still like Aristotle, though I can see Pirsig's criticism of Aristotle and his influence. It was interesting to read Pirsig's take on Reed College, a school I briefly attended 25 years ago
Czar