Why Chinese Mothers are Superior...??

[nicolejoy]

I want to read the book, but I don't want to buy it Just out of principle But if that essay wasn't so "harsh", I might have bought the book...

 

[thanka2]

This may be of interest - an article where Amy Chua responds to comments about the extract from her book:

http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/01/13/the-tiger-mother-responds-to-readers/

As an academic (she is a law professor) and a writer, she ought to know that this type of "retraction" and blaming the nature of how her essay was presented on the editor ("I didn't get to choose the title for the article") make her look 1) Unprofessional 2) Unstable.

This already sets me up to think that whatever she might have to say in her book is a joke and anyone who reads it will be waiting around for "just kidding" at the end or another retraction. Say (write) what you mean and mean what you say (write), otherwise what substance do you present?

 

[Seb's Dad]

She may not have handpicked the title, but the majority of people I have interviewed request text and heading approval before an article goes to print. Can't imagine that her a) editor b) agent did not insist on this even if she was too wet behind the ears to request them. Even if she didn't choose the title, she knew what it was and obviously didn't feel strongly enough to stop it.

She is (or her editor/agent) a marketing genius and I will not be buying this book.

Comments are up to 5500 on the WSJ original article I think!

 

[Nayeli]

I believe in teaching persistence and values like working for what you want to achieve and being honest to your children, telling them what you think about their results in a sensible way.

she seems to consider very important to be a winner in life, whatever that means for her, and that's the point of her method, right? make their children in what she considers a success. what's the point of making kids learn something to get an A?, become little machines? Academic life is important but, What about social skills? No time for friends, no time to learn how to be a person in the real world.

 

[ingrid]

its hard to digest , how can somebody compare uncompareble things. I believe comparing parenting based on community and religion is sick. Every community and religion have their own rules and directions of upbringing of their child. Maybe its necessary in China behave to childrens like that.

 

[TheQuasimother]

she seems to consider very important to be a winner in life, whatever that means for her, and that's the point of her method, right? make their children in what she considers a success. what's the point of making kids learn something to get an A?, become little machines? Academic life is important but, What about social skills? No time for friends, no time to learn how to be a person in the real world.

This article pretty much sums up your thoughts I thought:

Amy Chua is a Wimp -
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/opinion/18brooks.html

 

[ingrid]

yes, that can be the explanation for lack of creativity and originality in Chinese community. Human brain need various stimulation. Drilling itself is useless.

 

[ingrid]

yes, thats the point

 

[carang]

i think that part of the chinese "need" to drill and learn by rote can actually be blamed on their written language. there is no way to learn to read/write chinese UNLESS you memorise the characters. you can't "sound it out" like you can using phonics when learning english. english is a language (and i would argue so are other european languaes) that can be broken down and learned a little at a time. there are various methods to teach it and different ways one can learn it..... chinese is just not the same. to become literate in chinese, one must learn THOUSANDS of characters.

the problems arise when they use the same mentality and method to teach other things...

 

[marie313]

wow, and people wonder why there is such a high suicide rate in hong kong...