Interesting point. When I taught a course in Operations Research to engineering students, I would start them off reading Pirsig. And every time I have something that requires assembly, I would recall his Japanese instructions that said, "start with a calmness of spirit". Plus, as aside, I experienced a bit of the torment of his Ph.D. program in my own. It was if they had to tear you down completely like boot marines before hand. I called it my Phaedus moment. Anyway, there is good reason it is still required reading in places that adhere to a list of the great books.