48 Characters Found in Pop Culture That Are Based on Real People

When Robert M. Pirsig finally got his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance accepted by a publisher, no one actually thought it would make a profit. Although it’s a fictionalized autobiography, it’s also a huge philosophical text. Decades later, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is the best-selling philosophy book of all time.

This photo is an awesome snapshot of the trip that inspired Pirsig to write his masterpiece. Pirsig is pictured here with his son Chris during a 17-day trip they took from Minnesota to Northern California. Pirsig’s book recounts a fictional version of this trip and is interspersed with reflections on philosophical questions about life.