Sunday, January 8, 2012

Uschan, Michael V. Serena WIlliams


Uschan, Michael V.    Serena WIlliams       
Cengage (Gale,Lucent,Kidhaven/Blackbirch 2011           104p   33.45  978-1-4205-0488-0           
ms/hs             People in the News (Gale/Lucent)  VG-BNS          
Serena Williams is a product of solid family
relationships, strong work ethic, talent and motivation that have made her a
star.  She has survived injury, prejudice, family crises & depression on her
rise to fame as one of the worlds best tennis stars ever.           This is a well-
researched, interesting and informative biography about Serena Williams, one of
the most, if not THE most, remarkable female tennis players of all time.  The
drive and integrity of Serena and Venuss father shines as he prepares the girls
by moving his entire family to Florida for training.  He holds them back
intentionally, hoping that the pressures of youth combined with fame will not
tarnish his daughters.  Author Michael V. Uschan has a hit with this biography
due to its thorough coverage of Serenas life, its exciting quotations, its
unique combination of data about both sisters and its honesty with regard to the
challenges of the two sisters and their dominance in the sport of female tennis.  
A fan of statistics and/or sports will revel in the details of victories, losses,
injuries and setbacks.  A fan of womens rights will love Serenas innocent
arrogance as she states her true feelings always.   The book is not entirely
about tennis as Uschan shares data about all of Serenas accomplishments in
fashion, acting, and charity.  Of course, the most noteworthy accomplishment is
breaking the barrier into a sport dominated by Caucasians.  The Williams sisters
are a household name, even if one is not a fan of tennis.  The biography ends
with extensive notes, a timeline of important dates, a list of resources and a
complete index.   Please note that the dark gray print of the text is difficult
to read for extended periods of time.         People in the News celebrates the
lives of many contemporary stars in many fields:  sports, politics, movies,
music, writing, computers and television.  Fidel Castro, Al Gore, Steve Jobs,
Shakira and Kanye West are just a few of the topics.       Squaresky, Martha

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