{"product_id":"boy-on-ice-john-branch-9780393239393","title":"Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe tragic death of hockey star Derek Boogaard at twenty-eight was front-page news across the country in 2011 and helped shatter the silence about violence and concussions in professional sports. Now, in a gripping work of narrative nonfiction, acclaimed reporter John Branch tells the shocking story of Boogaard's life and heartbreaking death.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eBoy on Ice\u003c\/em\u003e is the richly told story of a mountain of a man who made it to the absolute pinnacle of his sport. Widely regarded as the toughest man in the NHL, Boogaard was a gentle man off the ice but a merciless fighter on it. With great narrative drive, Branch recounts Boogaard's unlikely journey from lumbering kid playing pond-hockey on the prairies of Saskatchewan, so big his skates would routinely break beneath his feet; to his teenaged junior hockey days, when one brutal outburst of violence brought Boogaard to the attention of professional scouts; to his days and nights as a star enforcer with the Minnesota Wild and the storied New York Rangers, capable of delivering career-ending punches and intimidating entire teams. But, as Branch reveals, behind the scenes Boogaard's injuries and concussions were mounting and his mental state was deteriorating, culminating in his early death from an overdose of alcohol and painkillers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on months of investigation and hundreds of interviews with Boogaard's family, friends, teammates, and coaches, \u003cem\u003eBoy on Ice\u003c\/em\u003e is a brilliant work for fans of Michael Lewis's \u003cem\u003eThe Blind Side\u003c\/em\u003e or Buzz Bissinger's \u003cem\u003eFriday Night Lights\u003c\/em\u003e. This is a book that raises deep and disturbing questions about the systemic brutality of contact sports--from peewees to professionals--and the damage that reaches far beyond the game.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e* A 2014 \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e Best Book of the Year\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e John Branch\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 039323939X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780393239393\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e W. W. Norton \u0026amp; Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/01\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 384\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.53lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.79h x 6.36w x 1.24d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/23\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/01\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/15\/2014 pg. 85\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/01\/2014 pg. 33\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/05\/2014 pg. 10\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/07\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/12\/2014 pg. 22\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly Best Books\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/03\/2014 pg. 36\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Best Nonfiction\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/01\/2014 pg. 11","brand":"John Branch","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46617847562495,"sku":"9780393239393","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_39dde855-e991-4324-8eb3-23d9cb0d9a22.jpg?v=1740068492","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/boy-on-ice-john-branch-9780393239393","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}