I try to avoid any preconceived notions when starting a new book, but with Amy Chua’s The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (Penguin Books) it was a little difficult. Much as been said of the Yale Law professor who swears that Chinese parenting is superior and shuns everything from playdates to guitar lessons. But I found myself almost immediately more sympathetic to Chua than I’d expected. While the hours of music training she forced upon her daughters was extreme (and made me feel a little lazy), she truly does want what’s best for her children. Chua also raises the valid point that perhaps Westerners have gone too far the other direction. While I believe kids should play as much as possible and fun should be their main objective, I also believe they should spend less time in front of the TV and more time with books and learning new skills. Battle Hymn has never claimed to be a parenting manual, in fact, the opposite is true, but I do believe parents can take something from Chua’s open and honest journey.