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)

Cheers to Chinese Parenting

Way to go to Amy Chua to buck the soft expectations of modern parenting! Her results speak volumes. If only our "rebellious" children could be as successful and happy as her daughter Lulu. I know I will be employing some of her methods with my daughter, Sofia; and I couldn't agree more with many of her methods and mantras! The book is very well written, and a pleasure to read. I plan on sharing it with all my sisters and with my mother.

Tiger Mother...

This book was very powerful and thought provoking. I listened to this book with an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised at the tenacity that Amy Chua has in raising her daughters as well as the bravery she expelled in writing and publishing this book. The best part was listening to how she learned more about herself through the strict discipline she required of her daughters and how the end results confirmed her goals but also allowed her to understand that her daughters needed to affirm their own with the same competitive spirit.

Unique point of view

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

Amy Chua is an ernest and dedicated Tiger Mom. It was good to hear the story in her voice because she captured nuances another narrator might have missed. Her story is engaging and will really make you think about our Western way of viewing achievement, dedication, discipline and individualism. She made me want to add more discipline but also made me aware of how we place importance on being social. We might eliminate so many play-dates and add more music practice in our household, but maybe not. See what you think!

Good. Glad I listened instead of read

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

Maybe. Depends on the topic. The story was good but it was a little rote. I guess that goes with the theme of the book though.

Not what the critics made it out to be

I picked up on the satire and the it's really about a woman trying to navigate motherhood. As a mom, I can relate. Found it heart warming and funny.

Smashed Expectations!

As extreme as the ideals in this book are, the lessons are balanced and the story is deeply genuine and tragically human. The writing style is captivating and the performance is as flawless as you’d imagine a tiger mother’s performance to be! Loved it and will read it again!

Ignore the Noise, Every Parent Should Read This

Amy Chua has come under a lot of fire for this book. I think most of the people decrying her as an abusive parent are basing their claims on the distorted synopsis done by The Wall Street journal article "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior." (The title wasn't Chua's choice.)

This book is written with a lot of humor and brutal honesty. It gives the reader much to think about. I don't agree with everything Chua says and definitely feel she could have dialed it back a bit, but she raises important issues every parent must face. Every kid has 24 hours each day to use, should they use it texting for 4 hours a day? Watching TV for 6 hours? Playing stupid Facebook games for hours on end? Blasting enemy soldiers into gobs of goo on their Playstation 3s or Xboxes?

While there is a lot of space between letting your kid be a "typical" American and being a Tiger Mother, the USA's dismal education record says more parents need to be as engaged as Amy Chua.

A Tiger Mother is still a Mother

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

Top 5 so far.

What did you like best about this story?

It's very personal

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

No, this is the first one.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was a very touching story. Contrary to what I read about her, based on her op-ed, it was a normal story about a mother connecting with her children.

Everyone has struggles, some more cultural, generational, and environmental than others, but at the end of the day, it's a story about a mom.

Outstanding mom

If everyone loves children as much as Amy does, the world will become a peaceful place.

Glad I'm not a Chinese mother

If you could sum up Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother in three words, what would they be?

Insightful, interesting, and intimidating.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mother

What does Amy Chua bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoyed having the author read the book, it brought a lot of authenticity to the story. It also made me believe the unbelievable parts.

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

I'm going to proudly be a Western mother of Asian descent, but I might sign my kid up for a music class.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this perspective of parenting. It gave me a little bit to aspire to and a lot to let go.