Why We Ride: A Psychologist Explains the Motorcyclist's Mind and the Love Affair Between Rider, Bike, and Road (CompanionHouse Books) In-Depth Explanation, Sports Psychology, and the State of Flow - Softcover

Barnes PhD., Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1620082284 ISBN 13: 9781620082287

Publisher: CompanionHouse Books, 2017

Synopsis

Why would anyone want to do something as dangerous as motorcycling? For those who love to ride, no explanation is necessary. For everyone else, there’s Why We Ride. Designed as both an explanation for outsiders and an anthem for those within the fold, this new book presents the insights of Mark Barnes, PhD, a motorcycling clinical psychologist. As a popular columnist at Motorcycle Consumer News for more than 20 years, Dr. Barnes articulates the elusive physical, emotional, and interpersonal elements that make the world of the motorcyclist such a rich and exciting place. His wide-ranging text covers both sports psychology and the psychoanalysis of common riding experiences, including the results of Dr. Barnes’ own empirical research. Heartfelt and thought provoking, here is a straightforward account of what makes real motorcyclists tick.
Inside Why We Ride:
What makes all the hazards and hardships of riding a motorcycle worthwhile to perfectly sane, intelligent, and responsible individuals
Insights from clinical psychologist and moto-journalist Dr. Mark Barnes
Examination of the complex gratifications, relentlessly compelling passions, and deeply personal experiences that motivate motorcyclists
Sports psychology, psychoanalysis of common riding experiences, and reflections on the author’s personal journey as a rider
Results of the author’s own empirical research on the motives of motorcyclists
Thought-provoking exploration of the human dimension of motorcycling
Special section on how riders achieve the quasi-mystical state of “Flow,” a concept currently at the center of modern sports psychology

About this title

About the Author:

Soon after launching his career as a clinical psychologist in 1992, Dr. Barnes merged his interest in people with his life-long passion for motorcycling by writing about the human dimension of riding and working on bikes for enthusiast magazines. He settled in as a regular contributor to Motorcycle Consumer News in 1996; since then, 200 (and counting) of his monthly columns have explored wide-ranging psychological aspects of the motorcycling experience. Mark has also written almost as many gear and accessory reviews, technical/how-to articles, and feature stories about motorcycle-related events and destinations, and he presented his own research on the multifaceted appeal of motorcycling at a Popular Culture Association conference. Having ridden extensively both on- and off-road, sampling racetracks and virtually every type of bike in the process, Mark has amassed a wealth of observations and insights over four-plus decades of involvement. That personal history, coupled with his training as a scientist, clinician and communicator, has allowed Mark to capture in words the elusive physical, emotional and interpersonal elements that make the world of the motorcyclist such a rich and exciting place

Review:

Why we Ride―A Psychologist Explains the Motorcyclist’s Mind and the Love Affair between Rider, Bike, and Road is entertaining and thought-provoking and well worth a read. ―Ultimate Motorcycling

For its concise explanation of the manly art of bench racing alone, Why We Ride is worth reading. ―Driving

Becoming a skilled rider requires layering; obtaining skills and polishing them over extended periods of time, refining them and always working to improve. Reading “Why We Ride” can be approached the same way; gradually assimilating stories and the lessons therein, and adopting them for personal use. ―Ride-CT

Heartfelt and thought provoking, here is a straightforward account of what really makes motorcyclists tick. ―Motorcyclist's Post

About this edition

• Publisher: CompanionHouse Books
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1620082284
• ISBN 13: 9781620082287
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240