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)

loved it

I loved how any writes about each one of her daughter's. I can easily relate

My Personal Opinion

I was reading this book for AP English Language Comp. and for multiple it was horrible but for me I loved it: the story was relatable at some points and truly eye opening. My mother and I are just like Amy and Lulu but I’m also expected to be like Sophia. Amy Chua is so talented and I can’t thank her enough for making it easier for me to understand why my mother acted the way she did. Thank you for this amazing book.

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.

Love her or hate her .. you can see the value

Amy Chua did nothing to make us like her, and very often I wanted to ring her neck. At the same time I wish I'd had a parent that was so dedicated to my learning to be that involved. I learned a lot from the book, not just about being an "Asian parent" but also about how much dedication and perseverance it takes to become proficient.

A perfectionist's guide to parenting

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes I'd recommend for another point of view. Ms. Chua's approach is perhaps not for everyone, but the book offers some unique reflections on how to train your children.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

More yet to be written. Ripe for a follow up that can reflect on the results of parenting "the Chinese way".

What three words best describe Amy Chua’s voice?

Calm, deliberate, cool

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

A verbally abusive parent is the genesis of neurosis

The age old question of how to rear perfect prodigies is the subject of Amy Chau’s book, and her approach,labeled as the Chinese method, verses western method is to demand perfection, ensure mastery of a subject using intimidation, impatience, cruelty, shaming, and bribery as methods to coerce the desired behavior, especially with a resistant daughter like Lou Lou. Chau admits to underperforming in competitive contests, and verbal virtuosity herself, yet expects her children to master performance, and ace competitions that she has flubbed. She believes in merit, but got her teaching job by writing articles about discrimination, which like many things seems hypocritical, since merit is the antithesis of discrimination. For all of her achievements one senses her drive to produce winners comes from a place of profound feelings of inferiority, since nothing is ever good enough. I’ve raised successful daughters too, and think it’s possible to instill a desire to excel without assaulting a child’s sense of well being, which is punishing. Kids internalize the ways of their parents, without the parents beating the kids over the head with their values and habits, and though they might stray, and experiment a bit, like homing birds they come back to the nest in the end.

Entertaining Slice of the American Experience

This book is much misunderstood, as many have missed the self-parody and self-examination and have taken it to be some sort of child-rearing manual. Viewed in the correct light, it is an entertaining and engaging account of cultural adaptation and self-discovery.

Sounds like fiction, but really is not!!!

What did you love best about Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother?

I thought my mom was a tiger mother (not the Chinese kind .. the Indian kind, so replace violin with Math!!) but the author is times 10! I am constantly thinking of what my parenting style is going to be when my baby isn't 2 anymore ... and I appreciate Amy's approach, at least in (big) parts. My first step would be to figure out if I have the commitment and work ethic it would take to be her ...lol!

The book is an easy, engaging read (or listen) leaves you with a lot of food for thought (if you can get past the almost fictional parts of the book and just believe it's all real and that your baby will be competing with a tiger mothers cub somewhere down the road!!!) and also has several "don't dos" if you don't want to be hated by your baby and/or spouse several times a year!!!

thought provoking

I love it when authors narrate their own work, makes it much more meaningful. Although I totally disagree with Amy's parenting style, this was a fascinating book.

Good story but basically self-promotion

Any additional comments?

I enjoy "Battle Hymn" mostly because of the contrast to the un-involved parents of my youth. Listen to enjoy, not for parenting tips. It is the time and resources expended on children that makes them great, not Amy's hard-line attitude. Her endless stereotyping and equally endless attempts at bragging (her dog has descended from wolves [sorry Amy, they ALL have]) might put off sensitive people.

If you think of Amy as a that special friend who loves themselves a little too much and relax you might enjoy this as much as I did.