Rated of 5
by Shirley D. (Amherst, MA) Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
"Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" was a delightful read, a charming story. The heart of it was a vivid picture of the conflict of child rearing – the Chinese way as opposed to the Western way. As a former teacher, I would say "yes!" to some of the Chinese values and "no" to the laxity as shown of the American easy "whatever" attitude. Then again, I would find myself disagreeing with the strictures of the Chinese mother but agreeing that there is a lack of discipline in American households.
Amy Chua presented an excellent picture of the differences, not only in the methods of education, but also in the final results. I hope there can be a meeting place between these two before the educational standing of the US will fall even further below its already low spot on the world's graph of educational standing.
Rated of 5
by Eileen P. (Pittsford, NY) Creating remarkable children
In the beginning, Chua seems so confident of the superiority of her child-raising methodology that I was sure this book was going to be just another ruthless salvo in the Mommy Wars, but Chua's shining intelligence, devotion to her children, and her ability to admit her flaws turns this book into a wonderful meditation on what it means to do one's best. This past September, my son started college. While I was reading this book, I would read him passages and say 'This is what I was trying to do.' I can only hope that he has half as much resilience, self-confidence, and drive as Sophia and Lulu.
Rated of 5
by Melissa K. (Oviedo, Florida) Very Insightful
I enjoyed this book very much. It was interesting reading the perspective of parenting from an Asian mother. So many aspects of parenting is based on cultural norms. It was enlightening to learn how discipline is instilled in children in the Asian culture. Amy Chua was able to insert wisdom, and humor into her writing that made the book entertaining as well as insightful.
Rated of 5
by Cynthia B. (Puyallup, WA) Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
I'm torn on what rating to apply here - on one hand, I was deeply engrossed in the book and read it in one sweep which would indicate a high score - on the other hand, I am so vehemently opposed to the author's views that the majority of that score is negated. Objectively speaking, I believe that this book would evoke great discussions amongst reading groups. Having said that, I cringe while thinking of my own group who got into a heated debate over Marie Antoinette. Imagine what they would do over Eastern vs. Western practices of child-rearing. Holy cow, I'll have to hire security! In any case, I've started a fan club for Lulu - Go Team Lulu!
Rated of 5
by Beth C. (Sioux Falls, SD) Clash of Cultures
Amy Chua, daughter of Chinese immigrants, had what she felt was a traditional Chinese-American upbringing. All of the emphasis was on success - in school, selected activities, and work. Family always came first and being second was failure. When her own daughters were born, she and her Jewish-American husband agreed that she could use the Chinese-American model with them. Thus, eldest daughter Sophia was taught to read and do math before ever reaching school age. She was also started on piano lessons at age three. the music lessons in particular required Amy to be the "tiger" mother - one who is often hated, as she insisted on strict practice times and routines. With her second daughter, Lulu, Amy used the same approach. However, while Sophia was mostly agreeable, Lulu rebelled at every chance. She was taking violin lessons and was excellent with the instrument, but family life was frequently in turmoil as she resisted the "tiger" pushing her towards success. This memoir tells Amy Chua's side of the family behavior - what she expected, what she hoped for and what the girls accomplished. It is an enjoyable foray into the behind the scenes activities of Chinese-American family life. The book would appeal to readers of ethnic literature as well as memoir readers. It would make an interesting book club choice.
Rated of 5
by Ann L. (Arnold, MD) Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
This book by Amy Chua is a well written, easy to read story about a Chinese American mother who decides to raise her two daughters the Chinese way instead of the American way. Ms. Chua's writing style is smooth, clear and flows well. She is very skilled at writing objectively about herself and her story is well balanced. There is not too much bragging or too much putting herself down. I enjoyed reading this book and she is rightfully proud of her two daughters.
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of 5
by Shirley D. (Amherst, MA) 
of 5
by Cynthia B. (Puyallup, WA) 
of 5
by Beth C. (Sioux Falls, SD) 
