Book: Two Planks and a Passion

Meticulously researched, Two Planks and a Passion: The Dramatic History of Skiing (Continuum, $30) might just be the definitive text on the development of skiing, period. Starting with skiing as it began thousands of years ago, the author documents the growth of a simple mode of snowy transportation into the worldwide phenomenon it is today. And somehow this history book finds a way to be both highly detailed and highly interesting at the same time. With its amazingly in-depth examination of one of Bozeman’s favorite pastimes, this book is the perfect gift for the skiing fanatic in your life.