{"product_id":"the-utility-of-boredom","title":"The Utility of Boredom","description":"Tenth Anniversary Edition, featuring a new introduction by the author.   Spitball literary essays on the off-kilter joys, sorrows and wonder of North America’s national pastime.   A collection of essays for ardent seamheads and casual baseball fans alike, The Utility of Boredom is a book about finding respite and comfort in the order, traditions, and rituals of baseball. It’s a sport that shows us what a human being might be capable of, with extreme dedication—whether we’re eating hot dogs in the stands, waiting out a rain delay in our living rooms, or practising the lost art of catching a stray radio signal from an out-of-market broadcast.   From learning about America through ball-diamond visits to the most famous triple play that never happened on Canadian soil, Forbes invites us to witness the adult conversing with the O-Pee-Chee baseball cards of his youth. Tender, insightful, and with the slow heartbreak familiar to anyone who’s cheered on a losing team, The Utility of Boredom tells us a thing or two about the sport, and how a seemingly trivial game might help us make sense of our messy lives.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57507627237749,"sku":"9781778431012","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781778431012.jpg?v=1787042636","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/the-utility-of-boredom","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}