shirleytupperfreeman 's review for:

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

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So I succumbed to the 'buzz' and decided to read it for myself. Amy Chua's parenting memoir is somewhat simplistic but she tells an interesting story. She categorizes people (Chinese parents vs. Western parents) and clearly prefers the 'chinese' method. Her definition of a reasonable cost/benefit ratio is way different than mine. On the benefit side, she, and her family, have already accomplished 3 times more than most of us do in a lifetime... if we define accomplishments as performing in Carnegie Hall and all over the world and being a star in everything we do. On the cost side, screaming matches, very little fun, seemingly constant tension, a very stressful life including hours in the car and hours hovering over every detail of music practice. There was nothing mentioned about anyone in the family volunteering or giving to other people. But there is some truth in her critique of some 'western' parenting -- too permissive, lets children give up too easily, too focused on self-esteem without the accomplishment to back it up. Clearly she has touched a cultural nerve.
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