Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

• Author: Rozelle, Paul

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

By Amy Chua

By now, most have heard of Amy Chua's personal account of raising two daughters in an environment dedicated to academic perfection and hours-long instrument practice, with the trappings of a "typical" American childhood largely absent. The op-ed letter writers savaged her, pointing to vignettes about the threatened burning of stuffed animals or vacations consumed by never ending music drills as proof that Chua was a helicopter parent gone wild. That Chua's book is written firmly tongue-in-cheek with a brisk and lively writing style that painfully documents her own self-awareness about her methods and ultimate transformation is lost among the din of controversy.

Chua's memoir is not a parenting guide. But it raises issues about child-rearing and education in 21st century America. The timing of the book is excellent, with headlines proclaiming that China has overtaken Japan as the world's second largest economy, and the debate is when, not if, China will surpass the United States as the global economic leader. Combine this news with questions about the declining effectiveness America's educational system, and it is easy to accept the proposition that America's waning global influence is due to low expectations and a culture that rewards mediocrity. If only we applied the same standards to the pursuit of academics that we apply to our children's sports, we would have a nation of young geniuses.

Is the answer to national rebirth, though, what Chua calls "Chinese parenting"? It is tough to argue with the adage that one will not get excellence unless one demands and expects it.

However, the championing of learning through tenacious repetition, memorization, and drills deserves scrutiny. First, full disclosure: I had Professor Chua as my small-section contracts professor in 1996, early in her teaching career, just after her youngest daughter...