In July 1968 a mentally insecure philosophy teacher began a motorcycle ride across the US with his not-yet 12-year-old son. His name was Robert Pirsig and the journey from St Paul across to San Francisco was immortalized in his subsequent best-selling book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. His focus on the metaphysics of quality and the deep philosophical musings have led the book to be referenced as required reading across a broad spectrum of university degrees ranging from Engineering through English to Sociology, Physics, Psychology and Philosophy.