This bestseller details the "Chinese Parenting" model that results in the academic and musical success of so many Asian children. The author, whose parents are Chinese born immigrants, is herself a professor at Yale Law and has two teenage daughters who have achieved considerable success in school and music. It's entertaining and humorous and Ms. Chua is quite candid as she recounts things she's said and done to ensure that her children excel. It's also scary and draconian to "Western" parents: her children never went to sleepovers, were not allowed to try out for a school play, had to have the top score on all their tests and were subjected to shaming and insults if they didn't achieve all the lofty goals set for them. Hard to swallow, yet there's no arguing with the results: Asian-American children typically outscore all other groups on standardized tests and any mother who has had their children in piano and violin lessons can attest to how well they do in that arena. The question: Is that all there is to being a successful human being? At any rate, anyone who has ever worried about hovering and pushing their child too hard can read this and feel better about themselves.
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