Maybe we can turn this discussion around to be a bit more relevant to HNers. I'm a third generation overseas Chinese, and I've many cousins who don't grow up i

Maybe we can turn this discussion around to be a bit more relevant to HNers. I'm a third generation overseas Chinese, and I've many cousins who don't grow up in a Tiger mom environment but end up doing very well in life. You see, there are two types of families. One, where the parents are well educated, and see to it their children excel academically. Then there are those whose parents are involved in business. Those cousins don't have the same pressure from parents to excel academically. While they don't do well at school, they end up doing very well at business. Amy Chua's style is very much waterfall. The goal is known, and far away, and it takes about two decades of work to get there. As long as the world doesn't change too quickly, the method is a slog but assured. Meanwhile, the other parents approach life in a more exploratory manner. One cousin was good at drawing, and he helped out his fathers furniture shop helping customers visualise what a finished kitchen may look like. Eventually he branched into contract renovations hiring about 20 people, and now he's moved on to a more lucrative business of building houses in Singapore.