Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother

Every good parent would want what's best for their children. The Chinese just do it differently. "Western" parents try to respect their child's wishes, encouraging them to follow their dreams. Chinese parents believe that the best way to lead your child to greatness is to discover and practice their inner talents, and arm them with knowledge, and preparing them for the future with skills and working habits, and inner confidence. This book dictates how Amy Chua, a true Asian Mother, raises her daughters, Sophia and Lulu the hard way- The Chinese Way.

Here are only a few things that Amy Chua would never allow her daughters to do:

• have a playdate

• be in a school play

• complain about not being in a school play

• not be the #1 student in EVERY subject except gym and drama

• play any instrument other than the piano or violin

• not play the piano or violin

Lulu and Sophia actually never had any time to have a playdate, or have musical rehearsal. They were always too busy practicing the violin for up to 10 hours even at once, or perfecting their Mandarin speaking.

Take this scene from the book:

"According to Sophia, here are three things I actually said to her at the piano as I supervised her practicing:

1. Oh my God, you're just getting worse and worse.

2. I'm going to count to three, then I want musicality.

3. If the next time's not PERFECT, I'm going to take all your stuffed animals and burn them!"

But Amy pushes herself just as much as she pushed her daughter. She pushed herself to catch every single little flaw in their piano or violin playing, and made sure she helped her daughters to perfect it.

This book is an amazing eye-opener to see the differences between "Asian parenting" and "Western parenting". It teaches about the lessons that parents teach children, and the lessons that children teach parents, in the weirdest ways.

How successful are Sophia and Lulu? Do they succeed? Do they give up?

What do they do?!?!

I don’t know!

Actually I do, I just don’t feel like telling you that. J