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Harley-Davidson And Philosophy Full-Throttle Aristotle is published by Open Court as part of their Popular Culture and Philosophy series. This series brings fans of under appreciated pop culture icons together with scholarly writings about their favorite topics such as Harley-Davidson, Quentin Tarantino, The Grateful Dead and a number of interesting pop culture related titles. Click here to check see the whole collection. The author of this book is Bernard Rollin but the book consists of 14 chapters that are Philosophy essays by 12 different “die hard bikers” who also happen to be philosophy professors.

This book was more than I bargained for. I was expecting the usual easy reading biker paperback to take on vacation. I was also expecting easy to digest nuggets of wisdom gained from interesting travel chronicles. But Full-Throttle Aristotle was alot more than that. The collective authors are actually true scholarly professionals in the realm of philosophy. As I started into the book I wasn’t sure I could even follow the professors as they rambled on about Taoism, zazen, genjokoan, stoicism and Hegel’s dialectic. What does Nietzsche have to do with Harley’s? While sitting at a swimming pool in Jamaica soaking in the sun, listening to Reggae music, drinking rum drinks and just chillaxing I didn’t give up on the book. As I got into it I must admit it is probably the most interesting and thought provoking reading I have done in a long time. How can you go wrong with chapters like: Leather-Clad: Eroticism, Fetishism, and Other -isms in Biker Fashion? Or Motorcycling, Nihilism, and the Price of Cool? Although I enjoy reading books by authors who come across as my peers this book was challenging in that the writers are intellectuals writing on a higher level than my educational background. However I was able to follow along and found the comparisons and concepts exceptionally interesting. It is refreshing to go from one writer to another in this deep collection of views on motorcycles, motorcycle culture and bikers. The slight shift in writing style and the angle each writer takes makes the book palatable.

You deep thinkers out there will love this book. It’s like taking our many blog posts on such topics as “Who Is and Who Isn’t a Biker” to the next level. At $17.95 it is a bargain because if you are like me, you might have to read it twice to digest it. You get twice as much reading for your money! Click here for more information on this book at Amazon.

Tags: Books, Movies & Music by Jay Green
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Sorry, no Aril Fools Day jokes here. I do have a book review for you. I recently read Street Stragies - A Survival Guide For Motorcyclists by David Hough the Author of Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling. David Hough is a columnist for several motorcycle magazines who writes safety tips. He is also an illustrator and photographer.

This book is written and manufactured to be something a rider keeps in his saddlebag and takes along for the ride. It is compact in size at 6″ x 9.25″ and made to withstand the rigors of travel. It is not a hard cover book but it is not the typical paperback either. It has a special doublethick cover that extends beyond the edges of the text pages to protect them from getting bent or damaged during travel. At least that’s my oppinion of the cover. The cover also has entended endflaps to hold your place in the book. The text pages themselves are printed in sharp black ink on high quality matte coated stock which compliments David’s illustrations and B&W photography.

This book is a collection of 73 safety articles that have been collected and published. Each is written in a unique story format that is short, reader friendly and to the point. First it will tell a story staring with something like: “You are out for a Sunday cruise on your favorite road when…” Then it will provide a short paragraph or two about what could be done to avoid an accident in the illustrated example. This is perfect to take along and read a paragraph or two when you need to rest or kill time.

You are on a long distance trip and it starts to pour cats and dogs. You pull over to a friendly roadside diner and get a cup of coffee. You pull out your copy of Street Strategies and read a few safety tips while you wait for the initial slippery oils to wash off the road top. When things are a little less slippery, you put the book away for another time. As you leave the parking lot you notice the road is less slippery now and congratulate yourself for reading the book reviews on Road Captain USA and purchasing this great little book. You also pat yourself on the back for being smart enough to get off the roadway during the first thirty minutes of rain when the road is most slippery.

At $19.95 it is a small price to pay for something that could save your life. It is an easy reader and not technical which might appeal to many riders. This is a collection of short artcles and sometimes the same themes start to repeat but with a slightly different angle. You can pick it up and read any safety tip in any order. It will put you in the right mind set to get out and ride safely.

If you’re looking for more in depth technical information and have the patience to read more material and are not looking for a quick read, maybe this book is not for you. I have not read David Hough’s Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling but they may be the more in depth companions to this book.

Remember, any time and money invested in improving your riding skills and knowledge is well spent. Forget the chrome, invest in yourself first. Then buy the chrome… or matte black. Whichever you prefer.

Click here for more information about this book or here for Proficient Motorcycling.

Tags: Books, Movies & Music, Rider Skills by Jay Green
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