If you haven't already heard of Yale professor Amy Chua's controversial book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," you may need to brace yourself. The book describes Chua's self-defined "Chinese" parenting techniques, which, according to her article in the Wall Street Journal, included mandatory daily instrument practice, straight A's and a ban on playdates and sleepovers for her two daughters, Sophia and Lulu. The book has sparked multiple controversies; some criticize it as being self-indulgent and cruel, while others think that critics are missing the its point.

Race and culture controversy

One controversy that arises from the book is Professor Chua's definition of her parenting style as "Chinese." Some have complained that this type of statement perpetuates stereotypical ideas of Chinese parents and children. Notably, Chua is a Chinese-American, and was not born or raised in China. Chua claims in her Wall Street Journal article (which is actually an excerpt from her novel) that she uses the term "Chinese" loosely to identify herself, but at the same time, she notes that other immigrant parents commonly employ similar styles. She even suggests in a National Public Radio interview that at its heart, her "Tiger Mother" parenting might not be so far away from good old-fashioned American values.

Controversy in parenting

The issue of parenting is probably the largest controversy sparked by the book. Michel Martin, who interviewed Chua for NPR, notes that some critics have even called the actions that Chua describes abusive. Some of the infamous confessions include Chua's rejection of her daughters' homemade birthday cards because they weren't good enough, her refusal to allow Lulu (her younger daughter) to go to the bathroom until she mastered a particlar piano piece and once calling Sophia (her older daughter) "garbage" after feeling disrespected.

Though these anecdotes seem extreme and even border on the cruel, the point that Chua seems to be trying to make is that demanding the best from a child — even when the child doesn't know what she's capable of — is the best way to foster self-esteem, as opposed to what she might call soft Western coddling. She seems to argue that because she always treated her children as though they were strong, they became strong — and were not emotionally damaged by anything she did. She is also quick to add that despite her harsh methods, her household was always filled with love and encouragement when the children had truly done their best.

Prescription vs. confession

In addition to criticisms of its content, some have criticized the book itself. A review from The New York Times calls the narrative self-indulgent, saying, "Wherever she is in this slickly well-shaped story, Ms. Chua never fails to make herself its center of attention." But others, such as Jared Zyglinsky in a comment on the book's Amazon page, have responded to critics by saying that's the point — that more than anything, the book is her story. Amy Chua herself, in a follow-up article in the Wall Street Journal, explains that the work is not a parenting book. She is not actually trying to advocate that Western parents force their children to play the violin for three hours every day and forbid them from participating in school plays. "My actual book is not a how-to guide; it's a memoir," she says.

For all the controversy that the book has stirred up, perhaps most surprising has been the fact that no one seems to have sought the daughters' opinions on their mother's parenting style. Still, Sophia offered her own defense of her mother in the form of a letter to the New York Post. She explains that her mother's tactics didn't damage her self-esteem, but rather pushed her to realize what she is truly capable of. She criticizes the critics themselves, saying there is no way they could understand their private family dynamic. Sophia claims that she could die knowing she has lived her life "at 110 percent," and poignantly closes by saying, "For that, Tiger Mom, thank you."

As of yet, there does not seem to be any evidence of whether Lulu feels the same way.