Venus and Serena: Serving From The Hip: 10 Rules for Living, Loving, and Winning (Paperback)

by Venus Williams (Author), Serena Williams Author (Author), Hilary Beard Author (Author) "Serena: We weren't always famous, we weren't always rich, and we weren't always the best players in the world..." (more)
Key Phrases: tennis world, Dream Team, French Open, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–The sisters and tennis players extraordinaire give teens advice on everyday living, showing them how to aim high and reach their goals. The 10 rules for success include building a "dream team" (people who support your goals), doing well in school, learning self-respect, valuing friendships, taking care of yourself emotionally and physically, obtaining financial security, and overcoming setbacks. The final chapter discusses the virtues of volunteerism and charity. A color photo appears on every spread. The two women speak candidly about their personal experiences, revealing the values, attitudes, and regimens that worked for them. Never preachy and always practical, this is a welcome addition to most collections.–Ajoke' T. I. Kokodoko, Oakland Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. Tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams take their lessons from the sport and offer them as advice to readers. In a casual tone, the well-organized book tackles topics such as building your dream, respecting yourself, staying in school, picking the right friends, and taking care of your money. Sometimes point-by-point help is offered (to build your dream, get your parents in your corner; to build your knowledge, be your own fan). With the help of cowriter Hilary Beard, the sisters come across as friendly, capable, and interested in their audience. Readers get a look into the girls' personal lives and their relationships with their families and each other. What makes this book so enticing is its attractive layout: lots of crisp, color photographs and design elements such as starbursts and silhouettes in different colors. Information about how to get involved with charitable organizations completes the package. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (March 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618576533
• ISBN-13: 978-0618576531
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #482,534 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book for adults as well as young girls!, April 7, 2005

By	Jenae Richards (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Wow . . . I can't believe the haters who have weighed in on this book! And nothing in their "reviews" indicate they've even read it!
"Venus and Serena . . ." is a well-written but easy read, doling out lifestyle advice and guidance for young girls and giving insight to the motivations behind decisions made by Venus and Serena. It details why their parents decided to pull them out of certain tours (I was surprised and delighted by the explanations), and how those decisions led to other life decisions.
I bought the book for my 17-year-old daughter, but sat down and read the whole thing. Feeling guilty, I ran out and bought another copy for my daughter. <smile> This is a book that I didn't mind buying twice.
I LOVED their advice on dating, and how girls need to love themselves first. The book is BIG on the importance of self-esteem.
I found "Venus and Serena . . ." to be motivational and insightful, and I highly recommend it.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Motivational and Inspiring!, April 8, 2005

By	Karen E. Quinones Miller "Essence Bestselling... (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm not a tennis fan, but you don't have to be to enjoy this book.

While the target audience is teenage girls, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and I'm a middle-aged woman!

It's easy to read, full of insight into the lives and motivations of Serena and Venus, and has great advice for teenage girls on dating and other issues important to adolescents. I especially liked their emphasis on the need for self-esteem.

I agree with the reviewer who questioned the so-called reviewers who lambasted the book, since nothing in their "reviews" indicated they've read it!

I think Serena and Venus (and their co-author, Hilary Beard) did a wonderful job, and I encourage anyone with a teenage girl to run out and buy this book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for teens and fans of Venus and Serena!, April 29, 2005

By	K. Jill (Scarsdale, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After seeing Venus and Serena on the Oprah show, I decided to get this book and I'm glad I did. The book talks about many of their on-court experiences so if you're a fan of Venus and Serena and have followed their careers since the mid 90's, you'll find out fascinating tidbits about their reactions to incidents on the WTA Tour. I also bought a copy for a friend's 11 yr. old daughter so as you can see this book is a great conversation-starter for parents and their daughters. All-around, well done.