The following new books about athletes are available at the Hessen Cassel Branch

of the Allen

County Public Library.

•“Grace, Gold & Glory: My Leap of Faith” by Gabrielle Douglas with Michelle Burford

Almost no one would have guessed this child born in 1995 with a rare blood disorder would make Olympic history. Douglas looks beyond the lessons she’s learned at the gym and shares the leaps of faith she has needed to make throughout her life.

•“Dave Bing: A Life of Challenge” by Drew Sharp

After losing vision in one eye, Bing went on to become one of the top 50 NBA players of all time. He built a start-up company into a thriving corporation and has been recognized as one of the world’s most successful black executives. The mayor of Detroit since 2009, Bing continues to challenge expectations.

•“Rudy: My Story” by Daniel Ruettiger and Mark Dagostino

The inspiration behind the movie “Rudy” shares his story of floundering through school with undiagnosed dyslexia, working at a coal-fired power plant and serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, all leading to achieving his childhood dream of playing football for Notre Dame.

•“Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed

At age 26, after her mother’s death and the disintegration of her marriage, with no experience as a long-distance hiker, Strayed decided to solo-hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert to Washington State. Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls. The beauty and loneliness of the trail maddens, strengthens, and heals her.