Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

By: Amy Chua

Narrated by: Amy Chua

Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

At once provocative and laugh-out-loud funny, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother ignited a global parenting debate with its story of one mother’s journey in strict parenting.

Amy Chua argues that Western parenting tries to respect and nurture children’s individuality, while Chinese parents typically believe that arming children with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence prepares them best for the future.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother chronicles Chua’s iron-willed decision to raise her daughters, Sophia and Lulu, the Chinese way - and the remarkable, sometimes heartbreaking results her choice inspires.

Achingly honest and profoundly challenging, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is one of the most talked-about books of our times.

©2010 Amy Chua (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Courageous and thought-provoking.” (David Brooks, The New York Times)

“Breathtakingly personal...[Chua’s] tale is as compelling as a good thriller.” (The Financial Times)

"[F]ascinating...the most stimulating book on the subject of child rearing since Dr. Spock." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Wow! She was honest.

Where does Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would say 4 out of 5. I appreciated hearing the book in the author's own voice. I feel like such a personal story would be weird coming from another reader. The subject interested me exceedingly as a mother of 4 daughters.

What other book might you compare Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother to and why?

It is not a direct comparison, but The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley is another book that is also informative for those that are interested in maximizing kids' potential. I could pick apart that book and this one if that was my intent, but I instead found some truths and clear-sightedness in both. The current audiobook I am listening to is Grit by Angela Duckworth. I think Amy Chua, if nothing else, taught/gave her children grit.

Have you listened to any of Amy Chua’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother?

I think that this book will aid me in my efforts to provide for my children a good balance of discipline, focus, time management, and gradual autonomy for their own self-actualization. I can learn from Amy's successes and failures. The more I expose myself to others' experiences, different cultural values, and new scientific studies, the more I gain a clearer picture of a parenting path that is by no means easy or straightforward. I will still fail in some areas (as Amy admits she does), but most parents have good intentions that are complicated by their upbringing, flaws as an individual, and their inexperience. This book is an illustration of that. Anyone who says that they have parenting all figured out is a liar, delusional or hasn't raised a kid.

Any additional comments?

I appreciate Amy's honesty and willingness to collaborate with her family to capture their family dynamics and tell the true story. All families are weird to outsiders. I discovered this when I got married and thought my family was the normal one. I think it would be useful to see oneself through the eyes of family members too, to gain a greater knowledge of oneself. Many times I hope my loved ones will gloss over or forget my failings. Amy is brave to lay herself bare and see herself as her family sees her every day and in every circumstance. I also think the author is courageous to choose to weather public censure, judgment, and snarkiness to tell her honest and very human story. This is the most personally frank book I have ever read. It is not a "do-this-not-that" book. Amy presents her journey of motherhood (that is not yet complete at the time of publication) and lets you take away from it what you will.

Excellent!!!

This is a great listen. Amy Chua's narration is really touching. I finished this in a day.

Excellent listen

I loved listening to Amy Chua narrate her own book.

My only previous knowledge was the review that went viral and the vitriol that followed. To that I can only say... those people clearly didn't even read the book.

She is insightful, self-aware, funny and extremely smart. Also, there was huge character development and I am amazed at her bravery in putting her story out there.

Yes, she is very extreme but all cultures have their weaknesses, and I do believe she was well-intentioned. Never did she say that the book was advice; it is merely her memoir, fully endorsed by her family.

witty, and inspiring

great fast read. love the dynamic between mother and daughters. it's nice to see another's parenting perspective.

Nice book, read as a novel

Its a nice book. Helps me understand how some families work. Amy Chua has a really nice style of writing that is so approachable.

Battle hymn of the Tiger mother

Nice and fun book to listen. The book presents a family with different culture. It is so refreshing to hear those daily life ups and downs. The book left me with many questions I myself as a Chinese living in Netherlands would like to investigate.

Great

This story was great, it shows how people can change over time and how families that may not seem, still have internal struggles

A very inspiring book!!

Where does Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 10!

What did you like best about this story?

Her honesty about her parenting methods and mentality.

Have you listened to any of Amy Chua’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not yet! But I am going to! I have made a list of her publications.

What did you learn from Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother that you would use in your daily life?

Being strict with myself, and trying harder when I fail.

Any additional comments?

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Amy!! You are a role model and a great source of inspiration!

It's I Expected - Ignore the weaklings' reviews

This was a great memoir and I wholeheartedly disagree with the negative reviews. First of all, this is a memoir of how a woman strived to apply her parent's immigrant parenting style - where it worked, where it didn't work, where she was able to stick to this plan, where she failed and gave in to local parenting norms, to her husband's family parenting style, or just to the empathy she felt towards her daughters. I read, even in the positive reviews, that this is not a how-to, but if you want to learn some pointers you can pick up her general approach and mindset with a few specific examples of how she handled her two daughters - one of which was very resistant and the other who was less. Overall, she found a good balance and even where she waned off of her strict parenting style, she still produced some highly strong-willed children. Both my wife and I agreed that we would have appreciated being pushed by our parents when we were younger now that we see how successful others became with that level of high expectations placed on them. It's enough to inspire me to take a hard approach with my soon-to-be child but with the understanding of where I can and should pick my battles. After all, smart people learn from their mistakes; geniuses learn from the mistakes of others.

Surprisingly touching (and well-read)

As an Asian American, I read my share of Tiger Mother articles debating the merits of Amy Chua’s tough love, but for-the-best-of-her-children approach to parenting. And while many of these articles depicted Chua as a relentless dragon lady-type mom, none of them prepared me for some of the touching stories she actually had to tell in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

Now don’t get me wrong – Chua did force her daughters to practice the violin, for hours, on family vacations – but she also confesses to feelings of loss and doubt when she’s just not sure if she’s doing the right thing, the best thing for her daughters.

In the end, whether you agree with her or not, you’re sure to take away some helpful insights about seeing and bringing out the best in your son or daughter. And if Chua’s assured first-time narration is any indicator, the hard work may just pay off after all.