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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
I started out hating the author. In the end I felt kind of sorry for her. She has a lot of love for her daughters but I think she's seriously misguided in how she shows it. There's definitely something to be said for "tough love" but she takes it way, way too far. I'm not sure why she wanted to tell the whole world about how nuts she is.
It was an interesting read. The contrast between Western and Chinese parenting is pretty shocking at first. I liked certain ways she did things, and I loved Lulu. However, this book seemed to be a little crazy at times (not too strict, flat out nuts) and extremely repetitive. In the end it seemed to be more about the piano and violin instead of parenting.
Some of the passages made me laugh out loud- the hoops Amy Chua jumps through for an hour or two of expert instruction are hilarious to contemplate. I don't think she is crazy or a child abuser but she is way over the top of rational when it comes to her daughters. Her worst behavior was the manner in which she supervises the girls music practice sessions- which brought back memories of "helping" Tim study in elementary school, an exercise in frustration which only added anxiety, stress, tears and confusion. At the time I wished I could figure out how to help him learn without making him cry, but now I realize my mistake was believing his achievements were mine to take credit for.
This book was so controversial at the time it skyrocketed global bookstore sales during its prime. There are many lessons to be learned from this book. My husband and I took turns reading and discussed it for days on end. It is audacious and well-written. You may or may not agree with the author's extreme parenting methods but this is a gem to an otherwise bland array of parenting books.
The book was written in a style that was very easy to read and I got through it quickly. Beyond that, I just couldn't bring myself to see the author's point of view and ended up feeling animosity toward her throughout the book. I know that could just be narrow minded of me but I really tried to be open about it.
I read half this book with my mouth hanging open. Just when you think Amy can't get more shocking, she does. I laughed in disbelief at the birthday card scene. As an American mother of 2, I can't help but balk at some of her stringent parenting practices. But, I do think she has a point about how indulgent and congratulatory we are with our children and how it may do them a disservice.
This book is famous in international teaching circles. I actually stumbled across a review whilst on staff training in Hong Kong, when I asked teaching colleagues if they had read it, it seemed that everybody had. I can honestly say I found it a frustrating read. The mother/ author is not a like able character and the tiger-mum mothering style, must go against my western sensibility as I found that some of the story made me quite angry.
That said, it is a fair representation of what some of my students have to go through and it highlights the collectivist - individualist cultural dimension very well. Placing great pressure on Chinese children to succeed is not uncommon and the phrase tiger mother is all too common.
I think, the last chapter when the author discusses people's reaction to the book is quite insightful and makes you challenge the thoughts that you had as you read the book.
That said, it is a fair representation of what some of my students have to go through and it highlights the collectivist - individualist cultural dimension very well. Placing great pressure on Chinese children to succeed is not uncommon and the phrase tiger mother is all too common.
I think, the last chapter when the author discusses people's reaction to the book is quite insightful and makes you challenge the thoughts that you had as you read the book.
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/battle-hymn-of-tiger-mother.html
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is a much talked about, much written about, much discussed book on parenting - in the Chinese culture and in "western" cultures. In the context of her own life, Amy Chua talks about parenting styles. Her style - the Chinese style - is about setting the highest expectations and accepting nothing less no matter what. She describes her own parenting struggles with her daughters, and the success and failures as a parent.
We can talk about this book on two levels - the ideas of the book and how the book reads as a story. To me, the idea of the book is summarized by the above quote. "All decent parents want to do what is best for their children." Different people have wildly different approaches as to how to go about doing do so. As the book points out, differences occur based on demographics, cultural background, and individual experiences. The discussion in the book and everything that has appeared in the media since its publication makes for fascinating discussion points. The book does not answer (and I would not expect it to) the question as to which parent style is better. It is a matter of opinion.
Aside from the philosophical discussion, the book is supposed to be the story of a family. Unfortunately, the book for me does not elicit emotion for the characters. The telling of the story seems a somewhat detached look rather than a personal tale. For this reason, the book was not a compelling read.
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is a much talked about, much written about, much discussed book on parenting - in the Chinese culture and in "western" cultures. In the context of her own life, Amy Chua talks about parenting styles. Her style - the Chinese style - is about setting the highest expectations and accepting nothing less no matter what. She describes her own parenting struggles with her daughters, and the success and failures as a parent.
We can talk about this book on two levels - the ideas of the book and how the book reads as a story. To me, the idea of the book is summarized by the above quote. "All decent parents want to do what is best for their children." Different people have wildly different approaches as to how to go about doing do so. As the book points out, differences occur based on demographics, cultural background, and individual experiences. The discussion in the book and everything that has appeared in the media since its publication makes for fascinating discussion points. The book does not answer (and I would not expect it to) the question as to which parent style is better. It is a matter of opinion.
Aside from the philosophical discussion, the book is supposed to be the story of a family. Unfortunately, the book for me does not elicit emotion for the characters. The telling of the story seems a somewhat detached look rather than a personal tale. For this reason, the book was not a compelling read.
After seeing so many interviews and reading so much about this book, I had to read this book about parenting in the "Chinese Way" as opposed to the "Western Way". She is a tough mom who demands a lot from her kids and they produce. Her youngest rebels but not by much and they don't seem to damaged by this way of growing up. An intriguing read for sure.