Reprise of “Is Good Best?”

     In the fall of 2003 I wrote “Is Good Best,” an article that cited a survey that asked Japanese parents “In one word, describe what you want most for your children.” The answer given most was “success.”

     Fast forward to Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother, a book about her Asian-American parenting experiences.  The book has caught the eyes and ears of many western culture parents.   Clearly the cultures are different.  Click over to this Sunday's NYTimes Styles Section and read Kate Zernike’s “Retreat of the ‘Tiger Mother’” and in the Sunday Magazine read Judith Warner’s "No More Mrs. Nice Mom."

     Oh, by the way, that survey cited eight years ago in my article also asked U. S. parents the same question and the answer given most often was “happy.”