So I finished Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother . It was a surprisingly interesting and quick read. The author, Amy Chua, relates her struggles and successes with the Chinese parenting method in her quest for excellence. According to the author, high academic, professional, and artistic achievements are the only sources of true happiness. Therefore it's the mother's job to see that this happens through strict discipline and hard work. I found myself cringing at her battles with her youngest over the violin and was shocked that she would deem birthday cards from a 4 and 7 year old unworthy because they were not the result of best effort. Chua makes no bones about her ambitions for her daughters and firmly believes her parenting approach is best. Even if they hate her for a season, they will ultimately realize she had their best interests and happiness at heart. But she's honest enough to admit she might be jeopardizing their relationship in the long run. In the end, there w...