Book: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom
Author: Amy Chua
I know I'm behind the trend; everyone else has read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom by Amy Chua. My mother-in-law, Emily, lent it to me for our trip to Hawaii. Normally I stick to fiction, but this was an easy read. I finished most of the book on our 7 hour plane ride. It definitely kept me engaged. It was story-like enough that I did not get bored.
I enjoyed the book because it gave a glimpse at what being a tiger mom is like, but didn't say you were a bad parent if you don't choose that style. She pointed out weaknesses in the 'western' way of parenting, and the book also had an interesting conclusion about 'chinese' parenting.
She also does a great job of explaining her definition of 'western' and 'chinese' parents. She does not mean just parents in the United States or parents in China. Western parents are those who tend to let their child make decisions to choose their own happiness. Chinese parents are those who make choices for their children to ensure they have a successful future. Both parents can be any ethnicity; the terms just describe two extreme types of parenting.