• Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

  • By: Amy Chua
  • Narrated by: Amy Chua
  • Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (1,606 ratings)

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Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother  By  cover art

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

By: Amy Chua
Narrated by: Amy Chua
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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)

What listeners say about Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

The Subtitle Should Be "Diary of a Mad Housewife"

Would you try another book from Amy Chua and/or Amy Chua?

Nope. This woman deserves to be spanked for her arrogance. It is one extended boast.

Has Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother turned you off from other books in this genre?

No - loved Bringing Up Bebe

Would you be willing to try another one of Amy Chua’s performances?

No - I can't believe the supercilious tone. Made me want to slap her.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother?

It's too much about her daughters' musical careers, and not enough about mothering. And it completely lacks self-awareness. She comes off as an ass.

Any additional comments?

This woman scares me. And she bores me too.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

To Mrs. Amy Chua I say Thank you for writing and for narrating your story of love and passion for excellence in your self, you family and your children. Do not appologize and do not retreat from your values and those you have indpired and instilled in your children. I worked for many years with "emotionally disturbed" , "youth at risk" and i felt that our "theraputic programs" and psychological labels were doing more harm than good. Your "Chinese Mother" values are the American values of yester year and much of what America needs today. I think that this book is something that everyone should read and learn from. First understand that this mother LOVES and REPECTS her children deeply and it is within that context that her demands for excellence are made. These intimate stories reveal a most dedicated parent willing to spendi so much quality time with her children and working with them through every challenge. Amy Chua is NOT Mommy Dearest and is not Abusive, although there were exchanges that were volcanic, I actually laughed knowing what a battle ground parenting can be. Amy Chua shows us the genius is in fact 90% perspiration, 10% inspiration but it is done with 100% Dedication and Love.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Provocative for all parents

Definitely worth a listen for anyone who is a parent (or considering such). Ms. Chua raises important questions about how hard to push as a parent and the natural conflict between wanting to create a "perfect" child and wanting to have an easy, loving relationship with your child. The book also helps to humanize Ms. Chua a bit -- the Wall Street Journal excerpt focused on all the extremes in the book.

Drawbacks:

--Last chapter could have used more reflection by Ms. Chua. Would she have done anything differently if she could and why? What else did she learn from her parenting experience?

--Book needed a good editor to delete numerous trite phrases like "sharp as a tack." A Yale law prof can be more thoughtful about word choice (or getting an editor).

--Ms.Chua isn't a professional narrator.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Does the end justify the means?

It was hard to stomach the way Amy Chua almost bragged about the verbal abuse she heaped upon her children. One can also train a puppy to be totally obedient and accomplished with the use of a shock collar, but the same or better results can also be achieved using patience and kindness. I equate Ms Chua's child rearing practices akin to the "shock collar" method of training dogs--despite the results, it is nonetheless abuse. As a piano teacher myself, and also the mother of a straight-A teenager who is accomplished at piano, violin and viola, I believe Ms Chua's methods were over-the-top harsh and extreme, and certainly not worth any of the almighty "prizes" her children might achieve. It remains to be seen whether those children will go through adulthood psychologically unscathed by their mother's "love."

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Scary Stuff

Perhaps the most disturbing book I've ever read. Of course she has been rationalizing the book in the media ..."It's not a parenting book Its just a look back at what I did" The vast majority of people who read this will think...ok she is crazy I'll never be that kind of parent...But some will see this as a validation of their obsessive often brutal parenting methods. I can see it now, parents showing their friends and resistant spouses..See I was right! We need to expect perfection from the kids.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

I don't have what it takes to be a tiger mom

Whether you agree or disagree with her views/actions on how to educate children, I find the book very entertaining. It has not only stirred up a lot of discussions, it has certainly made me reflect on what my belief is and what my husband thinks about this topic since we don't have kids yet. I truly respect Amy Chua as a mother even though I don't think I can do what she's done to/for her kids. I don't think I have what it takes to be a tiger mom, but on the other hand, it may really take that much of discipline to train and refine one's skill in music or a lot of other fields. At the end of the day, not all of us is music prodigy.


In short, if you don't start the book judgmental, it's a well-written, well-narrated book that shows a very interesting/different perspective on culture and child's education.



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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

ALL dogs descend from wolves...

'Battle Hymn...' is the reminiscence of a successful, wealthy Chinese-American woman married to an equally successful Jewish man. She is determined to raise their two daughters using traditional Chinese parenting principles while enjoying the privileged East Coast culture.

The concept is intriguing and there are moments of great wit and frankness. (Chua's rejection of her child's thoughtlessly scrawled birthday card is the sort of honesty I wish I felt free to use). But the author reliably veers away from points in the narrative that are ripe for deeper cultural introspection. Many promises of an expanded world-view are met with the usual stereotypes. Most of the points where cultures clash -- where interesting questions can be explored -- are indicated and then passed by.

There are many attempts at even-handedness, but Chua has clear biases against American parenting styles (using the euphemism "Western"). I would have enjoyed the book more, and perhaps even embraced her biases, if she had abandoned trying to sound fair and, instead, validated them with specific trends and data. There's an absolute wealth of it available.

This is not an Amy Tan style of prose. However, a reader who enjoys a "personal journal" approach to storytelling will be entertained and perhaps even inspired. If you're a parent who is dramatically more committed than the average "Westerner" to raising excellent children, you may find a kindred spirit in Amy Chua.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Really?

Fascinating subject, but if you read the articles in The Christian Science Monitor and elsewhere, you're good; this book is fluffy and padded, with virtually no new pertinent arguments or details. Additionally, Chua's reading is robotic and boring. She seems oddly disconnected from her own text, as if she's reading on auto-pilot.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

it's more than the hype

After listening to this audiobook, I was really surprised how much I loved Amy Chua's family story. I had heard some of the reviews on my local news program and my interest was piqued.

Amy was not especially saying her way was better or what she did was right. She was saying that she did it her way and there were both positive and negative effects to her methods. She admitted her mistakes and apparently has learned from them. It's realistic. It's loving. I wish I had someone like Amy to push me forward like her kids. Who knows? I might be in a better place today.

Amy reads her book well and is captivating.

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