Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua

And audio book #2 is...

I loved listening to Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother as I drove back and forth between errands in these past couple of weeks. I realized that, for me, it's important that the author herself reads her book. When professional "readers" perform the reading, you automatically miss out on the nuances that can only be fully honored by the writer, the person that was there, either literally (non-fiction) or in her mind (fiction). So I was glad Amy Chua read her own story, the autobiography of her family's life and her children's upbringing. 

As the daughter of Chinese immigrants, Chua spends much of her time describing the difference between Chinese and Western parenting. I found this intriguing. Through the way she chose to raise her own two daughters (mostly the Chinese way), it quickly becomes obvious why success is so often found in Chinese families (particularly think: musicians, academics). Chua admits time and again that she probably pushed too hard at times (her girls had to practice their instruments several hours per day, were not allowed to go to sleepovers or "play dates," and were often blatantly criticized to their faces when Chua felt they were being disobedient, disrespectful, or just plain not good enough). At the same time, though, both Chua and her daughters feel it was advantageous to do things the Chinese way, to push so hard instead of succumbing to the Western ideals of raising children with high self-esteems. 

Chua's book has earned a great deal of criticism in American book reviews. At times I understood this: I found myself angry at the way she sometimes spoke to her daughters, telling them they were a disgrace, that they weren't good enough, or that one was not measuring up to the other. But I also recognized a devotion to excellence that many Western parents do seem to lack as they focus instead on raising kids that simply feel good about themselves. (From a teacher's standpoint, I see this approach backfiring every day.) There must be some sort of balance between the two: high standards without the harsh criticism. And I have to admire the boldness with which Chua told her story, knowing criticism would quickly follow the publication of her honest account of Chinese parenting. 

This was entertaining and thought-provoking: all in all, the perfect audio book.