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Why You Should Read Books You Hate


I can't remember why I picked up this book, or what piqued my initial curiosity. Thanks to the library, though, I finally got around to finishing it and boy did it make me think a lot. My thoughts in no particular order:

1. I am simultaneously relieved and disappointed that my mom wasn't much of a tiger mom. I'm sure my younger self was glad she wasn't as strict/cruel/militaristic/etc. as Amy Chua's exaggerated character. Still, older me is wondering why the hell he can't get his act together and get shit done sometimes. I wonder if where I am today could've been improved with a stricter, but better guided childhood.

2. When I have kids, I wonder how I'll approach child rearing, especially now that I'll have this book gnawing at the back of my mind. There's not question that I'm far more familiar with the Western style of raising children, but I also wouldn't want to rely solely on that to get my kids through to adulthood. I definitely see where I have very Asian values (filial piety, respect for elders, default humility), and some of those things, at least, are values I want my kids to have. 

3. Something that really struck a chord with me was the part where Amy Chua's mother-in-law comes to live the rest of her years with Chua's family. It makes me think about what will happen when my parents are old and retired. Will I be the one to take them in? Will one of my brothers? Will they elect to live on their own? 

For anyone who's gotten to this point in the post, I recommend grabbing this one (pro-tip: get it from your library) and reading it. Even if you're not into the whole idea of having a family, I think it's entertaining enough to hold up on its own.

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