{"product_id":"the-secret-history-of-balls-the-stories-behind-the-things-we-love-to-catch-whack-throw-kick-bounce-and-b-at-9780399536748","title":"The Secret History of Balls: The Stories Behind the Things We Love to Catch, Whack, Throw, Kick, Bounce and B at","description":"\u003cb\u003eYou may fancy yourself a sports fan, but chances are you don't know: \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A fish eyeball was used as the center of some nineteenth-century baseballs \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The race to make better billiard balls led to the invention of plastics \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The Nerf ball was originally created to be part of a board game featuring cavemen \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Balls are the unsung heroes of sports. They are smacked, flung, dribbled, crushed, thrown, and kicked. They're usually only the subject of scrutiny when something goes wrong: a tear, the application of an illegal foreign substance, or a dent from overuse. Nevertheless, if you're watching nearly any major sporting event from around the world, you're likely following the ball wondering where it will go next... \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Secret History of Balls\u003c\/i\u003e mines the stories and lore of sports and recreation to offer insight into 60 balls-whether they're hollow, solid, full of air, or stuffed with twine or made of leather, metal, rubber, plastic, or polyurethane-that give us joy on playing fields and in every arena from backyards to stadiums around the globe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Penguin Adult Hc\/Tr\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/03\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780399536748\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.35lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.80h x 4.40w x 0.70d","brand":"Josh Chetwynd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43643942568117,"sku":"9780399536748","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_62c8643c-eceb-47e4-83b1-027aa893fdaf.jpg?v=1708445071","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-secret-history-of-balls-the-stories-behind-the-things-we-love-to-catch-whack-throw-kick-bounce-and-b-at-9780399536748","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}