What's the BEST Book on Skiing

I have never read a book about skiing. The poll is therefore flawed.

How could you possible ignore "Breakthrough on Skis" by Lito Tejada-Flores?  Personally, I don't think anything older than about 8 years has much value given today's equipment but if you're going to include oldies, then I'd go with that one.  I generally am unteachable these days and just cannot make it through books about HOW to ski, but I remember when that book first came out, it actually helped me a lot.  (Of course, that was close to 25 years ago.)

This poll is flawed.

Of the ones I've read, I can't pick.  They all have some great content 

I have all of these, and have gotten something from each one.  I must say........ I have gotten a lot of help with head games from Mermer's book as well as Weems', as well as Jose Cuervo.

• The Complete Encyclopedia of Skiing by Bob Barnes (1999)
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  The Skier's Edge by Ron LeMaster (1999)

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  Ski the Whole Mountain by Eric and Rob Deslauriers (2002)
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  In the Yikes Zone: A Conversation with fear by Mermer Blakeslee (2002)
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  Brilliant Skiing, Every Day by Weems Westfeldt (2006)
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  Ultimate Skiing by Ron LeMaster (2010)

Warren Witherall - How the Racers Ski

George Joubert -  Teach yourself to ski/Skiing an art, a technique

Taking a poll like that is difficult, because to truly make an informed decision, you would have had to have read all of them, and anyone that has read all of them has way too much time on their hands. But I have to agree with Sibhusky, I don't think that any book about ski teaching has had a more profound effect on as many skiers as Lito Tejada-Flores Breakthrough on Skis series. And even though the first book was published over twenty years ago, most of the same principles still apply today. Later, Lito also published a follow up book called Breakthrough on the New Skis that dealt specifically with the modern skis and technique. I particularly liked Lito's comment that the new shaped skis didn't necessarily ski differently, they just skied better. Lito was truly a man way ahead of his time. I also loved watching Jerry Berg in all of the Breakthrough on Skis video series. He set the standard for what I considered to be the most efficient movements in skiing. Of course, Lito also said that his main motivation for the Breakthrough on Skis series was because after over twenty years as a ski pro, he became suspicious of modern ski teaching technique, he felt as though modern ski teaching was headed in the wrong direction, he felt like he was letting his students down, teaching just as many bad habits as good, producing terminal intermediates instead of refined experts. His words, not mine, but I can't say that from my experience that I disagree with much of what he said.  But I think that might have had something to do with why his book was left off the list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kneale Brownson 

I refer regularly to both Bob's Encyclopedia and Horst's collection of thoughts/data. I've read Weems's Diamond several times and seem to get something new out of each time. I'm looking for a copy of Ms Blakeslee's book. I have several of the others on the list that I haven't been able to get through. I'll start and get turned off. There's no one item I'd call "Best".

I loaned my  Mermer Blakesly book to a friend and never got it back.  

I think she liked the book. 

I've gone for Ultimate Skiing as the ultimate book and I'm not wavering in this. I have, however, just re-read Weems and love the philosophy behind it. Generally most of the titles above have something to offer all of us. On a negative note I recently got hold of Ski Skills by Andrzej Peszek. Not one I'd recommend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nolo 

You all are to be commended for playing along with such a flawed instrument. 

You did say 

*books on your shelf. 

Hi Nolo, I think the poll might have been more informative if it wasn't the best but which you have read. I've read four of the books on your shelf and think that for a new instructor Skiing Right is the perfect primer to Core Concepts & the Alpine Training Manual. I found the first half of the book especially was an easy, enjoyable read compared to PSIA training manuals. Was this book the basis for ATM/S? I wish I had read Skiing Right earlier in my "career".

I've also read & re-read Ski the Whole Mountain, refer to The Complete Encyclopedia of Skiing regularly and have read A Little Book About Skiing Better. I'd reccommend any of these three to advancing skiers who are looking for self-help. I don't feel qualified to vote on what the best book is in this poll as i've only read 20% of them but there are several on your shelf that are on my list  .

Thanks

The poll prompted me to revisit Skiing and the Art of Carving. I'd forgotten how much great stuff was in there!

Joubert, Teach Yourself to Ski.  Until that book rocked the skiing world everybody wanted to ski like Stein Erickson.  Things started changing very fast after that.  Must confess have not read all on the list.  Need to find a copy of Horsts' book, enjoyed getting to ski with him for a few days in AK.

As long as this thread is resurrected, I'll add a thought that came up when I first saw this.  IMO the "BEST Book on Skiing" probably isn't an instruction book.  Most all of this talk has been about instruction books.  

50 Classic Ski Descents of NA is pretty good.  So are Wild Snow and Deep Powder Snow.

I'd like to think there are some really great nuggets in The Book on Ski Boots!  Ha!  Good looking guy right there!

nolo clearly needs this book on her shelf!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skiing-in-Jackson 

I'd like to think there are some really great nuggets in The Book on Ski Boots!  Ha!  Good looking guy right there!

 

How the Racers Ski by Witherall gets my vote.  Why?  He was the first to put skiing in the most simple terms.  Something like, "Put a ski on edge, pressure it correctly, and it will take you where you want to go." 

I met Witherall by chance at, of all places, a driving range in Florida.  He was shocked that someone there read his book as a teenager.  Witherall is also a world champion water skier.

The original book was published in 1972.
 

Pianta Su...     There's also a very cool old French 'How to' book from the 60's with the most amazingly beautiful graphics I think I've ever seen for any sport, but I'm kind of a graphic dork anyway. Warren W was the old testament, Pianta Su the new in about 1976 or so.

I can't speak to best, but 3 have been things at returned to at different points in my skiing life.  When I was growing up, being dropped off for the day at Catamount by non-skiing parents, the thing that taught me parallel skiing and how to handle bumps was Joubert's "How to ski the New French Way" - which I think teaches a lot of things that are continuous with modern skiing. 

http://www.amazon.com/How-Ski-New-French-Way/dp/0718207556/ref=cm_aya_orig_subj

When I got back into skiing around 2000, Breakthrough on the New Skis let me get rid of my stem and taught me how a ski works.  And Ski the Whole mountain (the current leader) was the only thing I found that helped with "real" skiing (as opposed to groomer turns) when I was ready to do that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveturner 

My two favorites are Breakthrough on the new skis by Teja-Flores and Harb's three book series. It does a great job of introducing the little toe side of turning. I've also enjoyed Weem's Diamond.
Most wanted is Bob's Encyclopedia but I have never run across it.

Harb's books didn't make the list either? Shocking 

Nice to see Lito getting a little love here. His books (and videos) along with LeMaster's "Ultimate Skiing" are my faves. Together they provide a nice "right brain, left brain" approach to better understand skiing and how to ski better.

I read Witherell's "How the Racers Ski" and am working through his follow on "The Athletic Skier". Interesting to find concepts such as "ski the slow line fast" and "virtual bump", (although Witherell may not have called it exactly that) in these older works - those and other things that have shown up a lot here on Epic and other places over the years. LeMaster acknowledges him, maybe others have too, but it surprises me there's not a thread dedicated to him here. There is one specifically about boot fitting that draws from that content in his books, but not one that deals with him generally and what he's meant to modern skiing. Is he the Philo Farnsworth of the sport? Or maybe the Tom Dowd?

Back on topic, apparently it's not on Nolo's bookshelf, but I also think Mark Elling's "The All Mountain Skier" is an excellent resource, particularly for someone just getting into skiing who wants to begin to try and understand the whole kit and kaboodle. If I had to have one single book it would be that one.