The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America

by Amy Chua, Jed Rubenfeld

Yale Law School professors Chua (the Tiger Mom herself) and husband Rubenfeld argue that the triumph of certain cultural groups in America--e.g., Mormons in business and the highly paid Chinese Americans and Jews--results from three principles: members of such groups believe the group is exceptional, still feel they must prove themselves, and work for future goals instead of immediate satisfaction.

336 pages, Hardcover

Published February 4, 2014

About the author

Amy Chua is a Professor at Yale Law School and author of the debut novel THE GOLDEN GATE, coming 9/19/2023. She is also the bestselling author of numerous nonfiction books, including World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability (2003), which was selected by both The Economist and the U.K.’s Guardian as a Best Book of 2003, Day of Empire: How Hyperpowers Rise to Global Dominance – and Why They Fall (2007); The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America (2013); and Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations (2018). Her 2011 memoir Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother was a runaway international bestseller that has been translated into over 30 languages.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I sing the accolades of this book, let's examine my experience with it. Before reading The Triple Package (I think The Triple Threat would be far more memorable, sticky, and therefore a better title), I had read Suketu Mehta's February 3, 2014 Time article titled, The 'Tiger Mom' Superiority Complex. Mehta made some convincing arguments that the populations examined in the book were largely due to sociological factors making her argument invalid. Without him saying, he effectively states that the groups in question, primarily immigrant groups discussed, were the best and the brightest - and that immigrants from a different wave can be an entirely different make up. I'll give you an example: Jews that fled Europe prior or during WW2 verses perhaps Mexicans sneaking across the border. In the first case, the intellectual savvy and capable (resources, smarts, etc) make the group automatically likely to succeed in spades, whereas the border crosser is more likely to be poor, uneducated, and desperate (as the well off have no reason to flee) and therefore will find themselves lacking relative to Jewish émigrés (I realize I'm talking about two eras here, I'm just trying to illustrate the argument). To make this long paragraph short, Amy Chua tackles most of this issue up front.

A second review of TTP that I read appeared on RealClearBooks. The article, titled "Are the Tiger Parents onto Something?" by Robert VerBruggen. He correctly pointed out that the sociological populations in question are prone to survivor and self selection bias (if a new member lacks in attributes of the community, they'll remove themselves). VerBruggen quotes Charles Murray (as do Chua & Rubenfeld). Interestingly, Murray's viewpoints are not undermined in either article nor are they undermined in TTP. Actually, quite contrary. Mehta's contention that cream of the crop immigrants rising in the USA against the relative lack of upward mobility by downtrodden immigrants that cannot rise sounds like it supports Charles Murray's views quite well. Chua and Rubenfeld strongly support a key argument in Murray's The Bell Curve: poverty is not an independent variable but a dependent one. I believe it is this theme that has TTP suffering the most backlash.

After reading those two articles without having read TTP myself, I expected the crazed Tiger Mom to put up a weak sociological argument several grades lower than a Malcolm Gladwell bestseller. In my defense, in her last book, she had left me thinking she was a nut job mother screaming at her daughter Lulu every other minute for minor deviance against the perfect ideal.

It was for this reason that my jaw dropped reading the first chapter of The Triple Package. The picture that was in my mind: imagine sitting behind home plate at a St. Louis Cardinal game circa 1998. On the first pitch to juiced Mark McGwire, he smacks the ball into the center field upper deck and you're sitting there, jaw dropped, wondering if that was perhaps the hardest hit ball you've ever witnessed. It probably isn't, but the mere fact you're asking yourself this is a testament to the quality of what you're seeing.

The middle of the book, where it discusses the second two tenants of The Triple Package, were somewhat dull, but the book managed to come back strong in last third of the book. It's overall argument was very thought provoking, insightful, and fresh. In Shawn Achor's Before Happiness, he advises readers to seek signal and avoid noise; noise, by his definition, is information or content that does not lead to changes in behavior. The Triple Package, for me, is nearly all signal. For these reasons, I have to give it five stars.

One criticism of The Triple Package is that it is short on remedies if you find yourself excluded from the elite (groups that have it and will achieve higher than average because of it). Because it is so thought provoking, I don't find this to be an issue at all. Use your mind and get creative.
The Triple Package is:
1. Superiority - some sort of belief that you're special, come from a special lineage, or have some advantage over others
2. Insecurity - this would be better named "Drive". More on this in a second.
3. Impulse Control - in one word, Spartan. FWIW, this is the newfangled attribute in education circles "Executive Function," etc, though my word more encapsulates the concept.

While discussing Insecurity, the immediate example I thought of was Michael Jordan, whose drive and motivation were as legendary as his success on the basketball court. One way to have insecurity, according to the authors, is to have a chip on your shoulder. MJ had this as soon as he was cut from Varsity as a Sophomore. MJ used the chip on the shoulder his entire career to push himself to greater and greater heights of accomplishment. Apparently, he grew accustomed to this and couldn't put his grudges down long after putting the basketball away (as his Hall of Fame induction speech illustrates). I felt the authors could have done a better job at using examples like this to make their point. They do briefly mention Michael Jordan, but for a different reason than what I just mentioned.

More information on how to implement TTP can be found in an unsuspecting book that I happened to read not too long ago. Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To by Sian Beilock has several ideas you could apply to The Triple Package. For instance, both Beilock and Chua mention how stereotypes influence test outcomes, but Beilock takes it a step further and reveals what the research says about turning those stereotypes around. You don't belong to a superior group? No problem, as Beilock tells you how to associate yourself with superior characteristics (characteristics that would make Angela Duckworth grin).

The Triple Package is not a flawless book or a flawless thesis, but it is extremely insightful and useful. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in achievement.

[Deborah Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Certain groups do much better in America than others – as measured by income, occupational status, test scores, and so on,” Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld state bluntly in the introduction to The Triple Package. Why is that? And can we even discuss why without being a bunch of racist, anti-Semitic, eugenics-loving jerks?

I hope so. I think Chua and Rubenfeld do. I don’t know if their conclusions are scientifically sound – this isn’t my field – but I don’t think their book is offensive. It’s a fast, engaging read that raises some interesting ideas and leaves the reader with a lot to think about.

I think it’s safe to say that some reviewers of Triple Package were pre-affronted. “Amy Chua has come out with another book whose basic message is the same: you suck and I am better,” says Khanh Ho at HuffPost. I read Tiger Mom, and I don’t think that’s what it said. Chua obviously isn’t suffering from any lack of self-esteem, but she pokes fun at herself frequently, and quotes her daughters making hilarious remarks at her own expense.

(How sad is it to be Jed Rubenfeld, by the way? Okay, not terribly. He’s married to a beautiful, intelligent, wealthy woman, and isn’t doing too badly himself in the looks, brains, and cash department. But let’s face it: The Triple Package is being read and reviewed as an Amy Chua title. If she’d written it alone, it would still be a bestseller. If he’d written it alone – who knows.)

Anyway. Speaking of being predisposed to despise: In her review of Triple Package, Daria Roithmayr at Slate describes Tiger Mom as “a memoir in which [Chua] extolled the virtues of harsh disciplinary ‘Chinese’ parenting.” Again, not exactly. Chua probably wouldn’t have felt the urge to write about her parenting experiences if her younger daughter hadn’t fought “Chinese parenting” to the point of making Chua question her own ideas. And “harsh” is a harsh word to use about someone who in her own book makes it clear she’s all bark.

Nevertheless, when these reviewers are done rhymes-with-itching about Amy Chua, they do point out something I noticed in her first book, which is a certain obliviousness to money. Triple Package definitely discusses how well groups like Mormons, Chinese-Americans, Cuban immigrants, Nigerian immigrants, and others are doing in America; but Chua and Rubenfeld don’t point out how much cash in hand a lot of members of the groups in question arrived with in the first place. If the reviewers I mention have their facts straight, this is a critical omission.

I happen to think that Triple Package is an interesting work regardless. The anecdotes from people who’ve been loaded down with a simultaneous superiority/inferiority complex are fascinating.

My main issue with the book is this: The authors rarely question the idea that the sort of educational and material success they’re describing is worth what it takes to get. Chapter 6, “The Underside of the Triple Package,” is the shortest in the book. In spite of its title, it’s still a pretty loud cheerleader for the concept of working your butt off to get the highest test scores so you can go to the best college and get the highest-paying job – and your reward is to push your child to do exactly the same thing all over again.

Can we really look at the current state of the economy in America, and then look at how it got to be this bad, and then accept that premise without question?

Chua and Rubenfeld discuss at the end of their book how everyone can make a triple package out of whatever they happen to have lying around the house. (I may be paraphrasing slightly.) They never ask if we should want to. If part of the price of success is agreeing with the idea that you and your group are superior to all others, is it right to encourage a cultivation of that sense of superiority? Given how much racism and sexism we’re still fighting, shouldn’t we be trying to make a new path to success – and maybe redefining success?

[Bookish · Rating 1 out of 5]

Racist, poorly researched tripe. This book was clearly written to be sensational and make a buck by being controversial. Poorly written book with a racist POV. Won't be reading any of her others.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

If not anything else, this book was interesting. I enjoyed the cultural aspects, learned a lot about different groups' attitudes and history, and I do agree with some of the premise of this book. What it all boils down to is your own personal definition of success. Do I admire people who go to great lengths to accomplish almost seemingly impossible things? Yes. Do I begrudge anyone for trying to make a better life for themselves or their family? Absolutely not. But my definition of success is not driven by this unquenchable need to be the top, the best, or the richest. The quality of your life cannot be defined in absolutes, weighed by Ivy League schools and calculated by a pay check. Interesting theory about motivation. Personally I would love to see our country as a whole strive for more. But on a personal level, greatness can't only be measured by social class and drive. Compassion, civility, morality and goodness count for a whole lot more.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book written to stoke controversy and speak taboos. But carefully backed up with endless sociological research.

Although that won't stop professional grievance takers from criticizing it for its conclusion or even its existence. Which, ironically for them, is only going to sell more copies. There's a very simple thesis here cleverly told: superiority complex + social insecurity + discipline often equals success. And immigrant groups intrinsically tend towards these characteristics. Which, of course, is going to annoy people.

Follow me on Twitter: @Dr_A_Taubman

[Mof · Rating 1 out of 5]

So a Chinese woman married to a Jewish guy figures out that the Chinese and the Jews are chosen races?
Great. My suggestion for her is to go to China, go to Israel, go to Nigeria or go to Cuba. There are smart people there, mediocre people there and rather dumb people there. Then come back and tell me there is a chosen race. There is something about stereotypes or heuristics or racism or whatever you want to call it. However it is far from a complete explanation of anything.
But it does help her sell books.

[Book Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld

"The Triple Package" presents a provocative thesis that when three distinct forces (the Triple Package) come together in a group's culture, they propel that group to disproportionate success. Thankfully, these forces or set of values/beliefs are accessible to anyone who choose to incorporate them into their lives. Yale Professors and best-selling authors, Chua and Rubenfeld provide the public with a riveting book that is sure to inspire a cultural debate. This controversial yet fascinating 304-page book includes the following eight chapters: 1. The Triple Package, 2. Who's Successful in America?, 3. The Superiority Complex, 4. Insecurity, 5. Impulse Control, 6. The Underside of the Triple Package, 7. IQ, Institutions, and Upward Mobility, and 8. America.

Positives:
1. A well written, well-referenced book. A page turner.
2. A fascinating and potentially incendiary-producing topic in the capable hands of Professors Chua and Rubenfeld. A good use of world history and research to make provocative claims. In general, I found their observations to be fair and even-handed even when they leaned on their own personal cultural experiences.
3. The book is very provocative and is not afraid to touch on very sensitive topics. Overall, I think the authors went out of their way to be as edgy as possible without crossing the line. "Throughout this book, we will never make a statement about any group's economic performance or predominant cultural attitudes unless it is backed up by solid evidence, whether empirical, historical, or sociological."
4. A great job of defining, explaining and supporting arguments in favor of their thesis of the three elements of the Triple Package: 1. A Superiority Complex, 2. Insecurity. And 3. Impulse Control. Most importantly how these elements work together to instill drive and deliver on defense. "Superiority plus insecurity is a formula for drive. Superiority plus impulse control is a formula for hardship endurance. When the Triple Package brings all three elements together in a group's culture, members of that group become disproportionately willing and able to do or accept whatever it takes today in order to make it tomorrow."
5. An interesting look at America's most successful groups as measured by conventional metrics such as income and academic accomplishments. "If there's one group in the U.S. today that's hitting it out of the park with conventional success, it's Mormons." Find out what the church holdings are...significant comes to mind. Enlightening sections on Cuban Americans, Nigerian Americans, Asian Americans and American Jews. "American Jews are disproportionately successful by pretty much any economic measure." The authors focused on a total of eight ethnic groups.
6. Controversial conclusions. "The success of Nigerian Americans and certain other black immigrants - who face many of the same institutional obstacles and prejudices as African Americans - is significantly due to cultural forces"
7. The book is full of surprises and fascinating tidbits. Find out who the most highly educated ethnic group in the United States is...I won't spoil it for you.
8. Interesting observations on religious groups, particularly concerning how Mormonism ties into American exceptionalism and how it departs on key theological points from most Christian denominations. "In particular, Mormons reject the doctrine of original sin." Also a look at Protestants, and the Amish.
9. Some quotes are memorable, "I don't consider myself an immigrant. I am an exile. I did not leave Cuba for economic reasons. I left Cuba because of Communism. I left because I had to."
10. A mesmerizing discussion regarding superiority and inferiority as it relates to race. "African Americans in every stratum of American society, including the most successful, repeatedly testify to the internal burdens of being black in the United States and `the sheer force of will' required to succeed `while being condescended to (under the best of circumstances).'"
11. The need to redeem parental sacrifice. Impulse control exemplified in Chinese American parenting. Excellent examples from different cultural groups.
12. I really enjoyed learning about the sources of pride from some of the lesser-known groups. "The Lebanese, he writes, are `descendants of the ancient Phoenicians,' a Semitic people who, like the modern-day Lebanese, were famous for being commercially successful wherever they went."
13. The importance of how to deal with failure. The book does a good job of discussing the factors that lead to success. "Now confirmed by numerous studies, the correlation Mischel discovered between impulse control and success is nothing short of jaw-dropping." There is also a fascinating new wrinkle on the famed marshmallow test.
14. Eye-opening observations. "Success in America today comes more often to groups who resist today's dominant American culture".
15. Understanding the price to pay for the Triple Package, the most glaring pathologies. "The Triple Package works by making people very good at attaining conventional success, so everything depends on how much you think conventional success is worth."
16. Upward mobility in perspective. "Rising remains the rule in America, not the exception." Very good cognitive-inducing points though the authors do acknowledge that upward mobility is shrinking.
17. The causes of success and nonsuccess. Many myths debunked including myths involving innate higher IQ among Chinese American immigrants as a reason for their disproportionate success. "If Asian students were truly genetically superior to other students, they would not be spending twice as much time on homework each week as their peers in order to outperform them." "Drive predicts accomplishment better than IQ, and the Triple Package generates drive."
18. Interesting case studies on Appalachians, the Amish ("They aim not to show the world but to be separate from the world."), and of course Holocaust survivors. This one quote moved me, "Representing six million dead is a grave responsibility, and a terrible burden for a child to carry."
19. A broad-brush portrait of the current Triple Package trajectory in America and how to reverse it. "America declared war on both insecurity and impulse control. By 2000, all that remained of the American Triple Package was the superiority complex - which, by itself, leads not to success, but to swagger, complacency, and entitlement."
20. Justice Sotomayor's success puts a smile on my face. "Sotomayor's story illustrates just how extraordinary a persona has to be to overcome the odds and institutions she had stacked against her."
21. Comprehensive notes.

Negatives:
1. Sometimes misrepresents the mainstream liberal thinking. Example, "Everyone is equal to everyone else". As a progressive thinker, that is not what "we" espouse. It's about equal opportunity not equal outcome.
2. Notes were not linked up. A real shame.
3. We are products of our genes and the environment that we grow up in. The focus of the book is on specific cultures but how does biology play into it?
4. The authors did a very good job of stating their case that America remains an excellent country for upper mobility but did not discuss in any significant detail, the big elephant in the room, increasing inequality gap.
5. Some comments come across as presumptuous, and they were doing so well...
6. No formal bibliography.

In summary, I really enjoyed what turned out to be an enlightening and provocative book. I am of the progressive persuasion but a lot of the arguments resonated with me. This is a book that hopefully inspires civil conversation on sensitive issues. In my view, the authors have gone out of their way to be edgy without being disrespectful. You don't have to agree with every conclusion to enjoy a book, you may not even agree with the tone but you would miss out dearly if you skip this book. Why give this book five stars when I clearly didn't agree with everything in it? Because I love books that enlighten, inform, provoke, inflame, and bring new ideas to the table. I highly recommend it!

Further recommendations: "[[ASIN:1451639619 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change]]" by Stephen R. Covey, "Getting Things Done" by David Allen, "[[ASIN:081298160X The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business]]" by Charles Duhigg, "[[ASIN:1583335080 The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It]]" by Kelly McGonigal Ph.D., "[[ASIN:0307352153 Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking]]" by Susan Cain, "The One Thing" by Gary Keller, "[[ASIN:0374533555 Thinking, Fast and Slow]]" by Daniel Kahneman, "[[ASIN:0307956393 Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work]]" and "Switch" by Chip and Dan Heath, "[[ASIN:0061789089 Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't]]" by Jeffrey Pfeffer, "[[ASIN:0316017930 Outliers: The Story of Success]][[ASIN:0345527836 Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success]]" and "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell, "Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success" by Rick Newman, and "[[ASIN:1594484805 Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us]]" by Daniel H. Pink.

[Christina Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounding up from 4.5 stars.

I read this book in one afternoon. Not sure what the flap is about. The authors argue that conventionally "successful" ethnic/cultural groups share three characteristics: (1) a sense of pride/superiority, (2) a sense of INsecurity, and (3) impulse control ( ability to delay gratification).

As a child of Chinese immigrants (even tho' my mom was pretty mild about the whole Chinese thing--my tiger dad took off after the divorce), the discussion of the Chinese was true to life. I knew all about the superiority thing--how the Chinese had invented everything worth inventing-- and the insecurity thing (I didn't apply to Stanford as an undergrad because I suspected they preferred white students), and the impulse control. You get good grades, you go to college, you get a decent job.

But the book touches on a variety of immigrant and native groups with the "Triple Package," including Cuban Americans, Mormons, and Iranians. Totally fascinating.

Can America recover its mojo? China's world power ascendancy may restore our Insecurity, and a crappy economy might help impulse control, so we shall see!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is that certain cultural groups (including my cultural group: Mormons) rise and achieve more in America because they possess three qualities: a belief in their superiority which is innate to their cultural or doctrinal self-perception, an inferiority complex/insecurity based on their lack of acceptance in mainstream American society, and impulse control. There's a lot to be said, pro and con, about this book, and maybe someday I'll get around to writing a separate blog entry about it.

http://dadsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

Suffice it to say for now that I think Mormons can be charged with having a lot of confidence, but the idea that we feel superior is a misreading of our doctrine. The concept of our insecurity, based on being outsiders in the larger culture (mocked by the secular left on Broadway, while simultaneously attacked as a cult by our "allies" in the culture wars on the religious right) and the drive to succeed which that produces is a concept I'm comfortable with. And, yes, I suppose our missions, and our abstemious lifestyle in an "if it feels good do it" world does give us more impulse control than the typical early 21st Century, anything-goes, American. But I think Chua is missing a fourth ingredient which is more important than the rest: the advantages of being raised in stable low-conflict homes, by our own two biological married parents, from birth to adulthood (as so many more Mormons than the general population now experience), provides us with an advantage in a world where studies have increasingly proven just how much family structure matters, and just how disruptive it is that family structures have, for the past 50 years, lost their historic stability.

[Tensy (bookdoyen) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that the famous song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from the Wizard of Oz was written by Isidore Hochberg and Harold Arlen (aka Hyman Arluck) both children of Jewish parents who had immigrated to the United States? The song lyrics reached deep into their immigrant Jewish consciousness.

In this book Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld reach into America's own immigrant consciousness and come to the conclusion that three characteristics exemplify the success of certain immigrant groups. They focus their attention primarily on Asian, Jewish, Cuban and Mormon cultures. Many parts of this book resonated with me. Being an immigrant from Cuba in the first wave of Cuban exiles that arrived in the 1960s, my upbringing mirrored many of these characteristics.

The authors claim that the success of these groups is not related to IQ, but rather to three traits, the superiority complex,insecurity and impulse control, the "triple package." It was interesting to learn about some of the recent African immigrants from Nigeria who have also been so successful in America.

I really enjoyed the chapter that dealt with America as a national example of the Triple Package. As in second and third generations post immigration, America has lost some of the benefits of the triple package. Below is a quote from this chapter. This quote specifically referenced the success story of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotamayor. She was not part of any of the Triple Package immigrant groups, and her own family did nothing to advance her prospects, yet she was able to internalize these triple package characteristics to attain her own success.

"the Triple Package...is not ethnically or religiously exclusive. It doesn't come from being a member of a group at all. It's the pride a person takes in his own strength of will and his own accomplishments...the way in --not that it's remotely easy--is through grit: by making the ability to work hard, persevere, and overcome adversity into a source of personal superiority."

As individuals and a nation we need to refrain from our addiction to instant gratification and regain our national work ethic and our impulse control. In the midst of the current immigration debate on Capitol Hill, this book is worth reading in order to regain a sense of what immigrants bring to our nation.

In my own family, I, a Cuban immigrant married a Jew (as did my sister) and my daughter is now dating the child of parents who immigrated from Vietnam (and yes, they met in medical school). We are a microcosm of the triple package, it will be interesting to see what is in store for the next generation.

[Pete Dematteo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an infuriating book, to say the least. I read a review about in New York City's Spanish newspaper, EL DIARIO, by a Maribel Hastings, who blasted the couple's book, with good reason. So I tried it but was equally as revolted and defensive, as well. I sensed an annoying self-righeousness on the authors' accounts. Of course there may be a time and place for generalizations amongst certain sections of the populace, but to purposely overlook other facets of some nationality or race is marginal at best. These folks spoke of Cuban Americans as if they were all from the monied Coral Gables section of Miami. Such is definately not the case. A visit to Union City, New Jersey's Bergenline Avenue will paint an entirely different picture, indeed. Equally unsettling and contradictory to the author's sweeping generalizations would be a visit to the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, where there are hosts of Russian Jewish immigrants who rely on welfare and foodstamps, and often vote Republican, quite to the petrification of American born Jews. Excluded and completely ignored and/or unfairly overlooked without mention are less vocal groups who are self-reliant and in their own rights successful, indeed, on the whole, such as Colombian, Jamaican, and Haitian immigrants, who shun governmental assistance! Objectively, they could have added that their proclaimed groups stay clear of alcohol abuse and that all too many of the groups are highly and problematically suspicious of extensive interaction with outside members, at least during the first generation.

Ms. Chua and her husband need desperately to step off of their ivory towers and explore subgroups of the Judaic community, such as the Satmar Chasidic sect, who often have children into the double digits and rely upon governmentally subsidized programs, just as the situation with the Russian Jews of Brighton Beach, which I just mentioned. A neutral mention of the immigrants from Mariel, Cuba and how they were just as tad different from the originals in 1959 isn't going to cut it!

Conclusively, a strange and revolting book that encourages defensiveness and xenophobia instead of unity and hope through co-existance. Shame on you, you elitist psuedo-intellectuals!

[Daniel Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the worst book I've read this year. To start with, of its 320 pages, only 225 are content. The rest is notes.

The book is poorly structured and poorly written. Let me summarise the content for you to spare you the need to read it: Certain ethnic groups outperform others in specific areas. Chua and Rubenfeld attribute this success to three traits: a superiority complex, insecurity and impulse control. While these same traits have drawbacks, they can help you succeed if you break free from them when you succeed.

[Julio The Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What was Miami before the Cubans came? A place where old Jews came to sit on the beach". Now, this is not crude because it is true, and I can confirm it's true since I am writing from Miami. Amy Chua, of TIGER MOM fame, examines Jews, Cubans, and other ethnic groups that have made it big time in America, either first-generation or second. Besides the above two (and yes, a combination is possible. Cuban Jews do exist; I've gotten to know quite a few myself) she also lists the Lebanese and Nigerians. (Nigerians, who make up less than one percent of the Black population of the United States compose twenty-five percent of the Black student body at Harvard.) Chua is very big on both cultural background back home and acceptance and overcoming of minority status in the new land. What these groups have in common is for starters family-oriented societies. The individual is never left alone to his or her fate. (Koreans are perhaps the best current example.) This is a great boost in an egocentric country like the U.S.A. Second, these are business-oriented peoples; some are out of necessity imposed by outsiders (Jews), others from geography (Lebanese), and still others because they overcame their colonial masters precisely to sell to the rest of the world (Cubans). Once inside the land of the Yankees, these groups must assume a double identity, recognizing that they are a minority and for that very reason special people. Case in point: Cubans, in Miami and elsewhere, do not refer to themselves as Latinos or Hispanics. As for the Jews, the late Ed Koch, former New York City Mayor, said it best "I'm a Jew who happens to be an American". Neither complete assimilation nor separatism but a balancing act of both. Is Chua offering a sure-fire formula for success? No. Obviously, some groups are handicapped by history and institutional racism. Yet, she is insistent that culture matters and destiny is in the hands of those who make it happen.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book puts forward the idea that a particular set of traits - a superiority complex, insecurity, and impulse control (collectively references as the "Triple Package") have propelled individuals in certain cultural groups to higher-than-average financial success. The reasoning makes a lot of sense, and there is a lot of statistical and anecdotal evidence to show that certain groups who have a higher percentage of people with this type of material success, do tend to have a higher likelihood to have these 3 characteristics. Each of these traits alone do not propel people to any great accomplishment, but the combination gives them the drive and commitment to pursue long-term success. I thought it was interesting that she points out that each one of these traits alone, taken to any extreme, leads to undesirable results-including racism and oppression, anxiety and poor self-esteem, and stinginess and lack of present joy. But possessing all 3 traits, balancing each other out, creates an environment that is more likely to spur individuals on to reach for higher success.

She is careful to point out that not every individual in a cultural group will exhibit these traits, nor does everyone succeed in each group. It's just a larger-than-average number of individuals in these groups have reached high success levels. She also points out that individuals in any group are not born with particular traits, or that these traits are inherently tied to any cultural group, but that the particular situations, histories, times and place have created the convergence of these traits. Often it is the financial and insecurity of being immigrants in a land that looks down upon them, that have spurred groups to strive harder for acceptance, to prove themselves, and I thought that it was interesting that by the 3rd generation, these traits have died down, whether through assimilation into the culture, or losing the pride in their heritage. And there's also the cases of people NOT in any of these cultural groups, that for one reason or another, possess these 3 traits and have accomplished a great deal in defying the odds in their success.

The other very thought-provoking point she makes is that America was built upon Triple Package traits, yet in the last 50 years, the culture has been moving, intentionally, to suppress these traits. The American culture of valuing equality and treating everyone the same leaves no room for a superiority complex. The 'self-esteem' movement is all about removing insecurity, building people up, whether or not they did a good job or worked hard. And the 'live in the moment/you-only-live-once' mentality is in direct opposition to the impulse control that leads people to sacrifice present short-term pleasures for the hope of a better future.

So, what I come away with, after reading this book, is that it's good to think that you have the capacity to succeed, a little insecurity won't hurt you, and delayed gratification is still a value that has its place in today's world. Of course, the author does point out, that financial success is not the only measure of success, and there are many people who are much more happy and at peace, without the prestige and wealth and academic success that this book examines.

On a side note, people have complained that this book is racist. After reading this, I disagree. None of the traits is linked to race, in that they are not inherently in any race, but the product of circumstances and changes in the groups that produces these traits. Even within an ethnic group, one wave of immigrants may display these traits while another that came decades later, does not. This book is primarily about the 3 characteristic traits, and the examples of the cultural groups just shows how certain cultures promote these traits, or have come into possession of these traits because of their unique situation.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The basic premise of this book by "Tiger Mom" Amy Chua and her husband, both Yale professors, is laid out right on the back cover: America's most successful groups -- Asian and Nigerian immigrants, Mormons, Jews -- have three strong traits: a sense of group superiority, combined with a feeling that they need to prove that to the surrounding society (insecurity), all bundled with a willingness to defer gratification and work for the future.

Critics will undoubtedly say that the book underrates the social and economic advantages that elite groups can pass along to their children, but much of what Chua and Rubenfeld say makes a lot of sense: Asian immigrants in particular are known for pushing their children to achieve, limiting their free time, believing hard work is much more important than innate gifts, and so on.

Possibly because of the backlash against her earlier book, Chua and Rubenfeld are also quick to point out that these traits carry a dark side: anxiety and a feeling of never being able to satisfy parents; making life choices based on what others want rather than yourself; an inability to enjoy life.

They also admit that their definition of success is a very material one, but they argue that is the measure that many immigrant and other rising groups have used themselves as a yardstick for whether they have made it in American society.

The part of the book that might be most vulnerable to criticism is applying the Triple Package theory -- or the absence of it -- to America's problems of the last three or four decades. However, there is no doubting some of the telling facts: the national debt has exploded and personal savings rates have slumped precipitously, all signs of an inability or unwillingness to save for the future; and they are not the only ones to criticize the self-esteem movement for putting self regard higher on the ladder of individual worth than actual achievement.

From a purely stylistic standpoint, this book is well written, heavily sourced and can provide fuel for dinner table and classroom debates for years to come.

[Stetson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The triple package claim (tribal pride + status threat + smart/gritty decision-making = success) proves everything (so proves nothing). The argument and analysis are a bit sloppy as there are places where it is plainly incorrect based on the best available evidence: stereotype threat/lift is a spurious research finding that doesn't replicate and has been reasonably refuted (see Lee Jussim's work), grit is not a better predictor of success than IQ (see the collapse of Angela Duckworth's theory per Jesse Singal's book The Quick Fix), impulse control aka executive function is the most heritable cognitive trait (see Kathryn Harden's research and book The Genetic Lottery).

Biogeography, history, culture, and political economy/institutional character are obviously important to explaining group and/or national differences. These are strong yet diffuse, long-acting forms of causation that cannot simply be overwritten by adopting a set of beliefs (It is also a silly idea to think that we can simply coordinate the belief set of a group or even individuals). Subsequently, constructs of qualitative sentiment like superiority sentiment, status anxiety, and perseverance are not going to have the ultimate explanatory power that is alleged in this work.


Despite the weakness of the central claim, there is interesting descriptive content in the book. Additionally, the normative messaging is likely to be salutary to those that are likely to adopt the message and put it in use (though again, they're probably already in a success sequence for a slew of other reasons).

[Liz Busby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically, this book reads as a sequel to the ideas in "The Righteous Mind" by Jonathan Haidt. It discusses exactly what we are missing out on as a liberal society by dropping the value of "loyalty" or "in-group out-group" thinking.

Of course, the book focuses rather heavily on Jewish and Chinese examples given the nature of the authors. I expected the book to be much more balanced, but the other groups mentioned don't feature much. As a Mormon, I was hoping to see a bit more of us, but what was written was mostly accurate. They could have strengthened their Mormon inferiority complex argument by pointing out the huge tensions between Mormons and pretty much any other Christian sect. Being actively preached against at other churches will definitely give you something to prove. I felt like this book was done on fairly minimal research and could have been better if the examples were more evenly distributed across the cultures.

Also, I didn't particularly agree about the possibility of creating an in-group out of inclusiveness. I'm not sure a group defined by excluding no one would really provide the same motivation as a religion or ethnic heritage.

But all said, enjoyable read.

[Jason Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I cannot remember the last time I read so many negative reviews of a book that the reviewers admitted they had not read. The research is extensive and compelling and the book is quite reader-friendly. I am certain this is a book I will read multiple times.

[Orhedeia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Triple Package


This book is absolutely fascinating, and takes the reader through vast landscapes and history. Each “cultural group” is analyzed from different perspectives, with abundant facts and examples. The book itself is 45% material with the rest of it being footnotes, to give you an idea of how thoroughly researched it is.

I really loved how the authors brought their analysis full circle by discussing how America used to be: infused with the spirit of the Protestant work ethic. This is when the American Dream was alive and well; people came to our shores to work very hard and carve out a destiny for themselves and their children that was not available to them back in their respective lands. This is what brought my mom and I to this country and it is the mighty force that fuels the passions of immigrants all over America to put in more effort to build a stronger foundation.

Amy and Jed dig into the psyche of these people to codify their deepest fears and hopes, insecurities and sources of strengths, emotional baggage and the blessing that comes with being given a second chance in life. Having come to America at age 11 and growing up with other immigrants, I could relate to everything that was written about immigrants and that is something that no book critic or vitriolic reviewer can ever take away from us: that innate sense of pride from making it in a strange new land and succeeding through pure grit, determination and self sacrifice.

I loved that Amy and Jed provided an analysis of how the Triple Package values can break down over time, showing that the great grandkids of the immigrants who pave the way can singlehandedly bring down the dynasties of family work ethic. This is the case for the disproportionately successful Asian American families (with the 3rd generation reverting back to the mean) as well as the children of the Protestant work ethic founding families. Generations atrophy over time because they no longer have the urgency of having their back against that wall. Their predecessors work hard to remove that obstacle from their lives, but is it really an obstacle? Or an irreplaceable source of motivation?

Even though I am well versed in history, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the historical backgrounds of the cultural groups they presented.

This book is a brilliant mosaic of American success stories, as diverse and colorful as our country. The similarities between those disparate groups are fascinating, and they are well boiled down to the 3 traits Amy and Jed analyzed. It is very difficult to reduce something as complex as societal traits to just a few points, but I thought they did it very well.

I was struck by the negative reaction this book garnered, even before its release. I read all the negative reviews before I had a chance to read the actual book and was surprised by the superficial nature of the criticism. Every single point these critics bring up in their reviews is addressed by the authors, so either they did not give the book a thorough read, or they were reading with strong filters on.

A widespread but erroneous criticism of the book is that it is racist. If Barack Obama mentioned that a lot of NBA players are African American, would that make him a racist? How is pointing out the obvious fact that certain groups in America are more representative in certain things like elite universities, business establishments, etc. etc. a racist comment?

I urge you to read this book with an open mind and a desire to better understand our country, cultures and people instead of scorning the book with its authors and in the process foregoing a terrific opportunity to learn and get inspired. Sometimes medicine tastes bitter and is repulsive at first, but it has the power to heal and improve lives. Lets not throw away the baby with the bathwater, people…

[Stuart Woolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book knowing it would challenge my views on culture, success, and the connection between the two. Despite almost putting it down after the introductory chapters, I found reading the book to be an enriching and worthwhile experience.

It is true Amy Chua, a law professor at Yale, has discovered, unsurprisingly, that sensational culture-war literature yields greater profits than legal texts. I did, after all, pay $30 for 225 pages and, truth be told, that font was not small. But whatever the motives behind this book (or the authenticity of the theories espoused), it raises important and interesting questions - questions that, on occasion, strike a nerve.

The basic argument is that successful cultural groups in the United States are characterized by a so-called “triple package” of traits – namely, a superiority complex, insecurity, and impulse control. Since the co-authors are introduced as “one [who] has written about successful ethnic minorities all over the world” (Chua) and “the other… on how the desire to live in the present… [undermines our] ability to live for the future” (presumably Jed Rubenfeld, Chua’s husband, also of Yale Law), it is likely the first two traits are the Tiger Mother’s contribution while the third is Rubenfeld’s.

Impulse control is, in my view, the most important and least controversial of the three, as it remains a central tenet of much philosophical and religious thinking. While hardly original, it would be interesting to read more from Rubenfeld on this topic, perhaps without the assistance of his wife. There is a discussion regarding how one’s faith in hard work and reward affects impulse control, a discussion I found particularly illuminating.

The book’s treatment of the superiority complex, insecurity, and the inelegant combination of the two is, on the other hand, less than convincing – a surprise, as you would imagine law professors to be particularly skilled at the art of persuasion. Again, this is Chua’s part of the book, and one gets the sense that, despite her years of education, she retains something of an ethnocentric, yokel mentality. There is a clear but unexamined preference for convention and groupthink, alongside a casual dismissiveness toward quality-of-life issues. (The book’s handling of Asian suicide rates is a major flaw.) There is also the small-but-clumsy theme of marrying within the group, clumsy because, significantly, Chua is Chinese and her husband is Jewish.

But the worst part of the book is its treatment of the United States. It is not that I am American and thus find the authors’ criticisms offensive: in fact, their critique of the happiness / self-esteem based culture that characterizes modern parenting and more is laudable and noteworthy. Rather, it is the descriptions of America’s white and black populations, which are much, much larger than the minority groups they champion and a lot less monolithic than the literature suggest. (They are careful to make distinctions, for example, between various waves of Cuban immigrants, but treat most of the 200 million white Americans – with the exceptions of Appalachians and Mormons – as some homogenous mass.) Similarly, the claim that successful cultural groups are taking advantage of America’s declining edge by challenging its “permissive” values, while instructive, loses sight of why many of these groups are here in the first place and why America is, ultimately, a better country than it was before civil rights, social security, progressivism, and slavery.

Still, the book is good because it gets you to think and, at its best, challenges widely held assumptions. I am having my roommate read it now so we can discuss it later.

[Cherniakhivska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Недарма ця книжка мене приваблювала, тільки хотіла я її прочитати в контексті "як виховувати дитину", а виявилась вона більше з розряду "психологія для себе". Особливо цікава тим, що суперечить більшості книжок із психології, які я читала. В сенсі, нині більшість психологів радять безумовне прийняття як ключ до вирішення всіх проблем (і я звикла вважати цю точку зору правильною, і вважаю так далі), а тут автори переконують, що таке прийняття унеможливлює досягнення по життю. Мовляв, тільки постійне почуття загрози, недооціненості і постійні батьківські вимоги "треба краще" стимулюють до розвитку і досягнень. Це цікава тема, є над чим подумати, є що згадати зі свого відмінницького дитинства (де я мала одержувати тільки найвищі оцінки, інакше "а хтось одержав 5? а чому ти не змогла?"), і порівняти з нинішнім розслабленішим станом і досвідом прийняття на психотерапії. Погоджуся, що можливо, ця постійна участь в перегонах, щоб комусь щось довести, дійсно стимулює до формального успіху. Але в цій книжці не йдеться про почуття щастя, більше про відчуття "хоч скільки б я досягнув, цього не достатньо", ближче до неврозу, ніж до насолоди успіхом. Тож грубо кажучи, якщо вибирати, чи бути успішним невротиком "я маю більше старатись і тоді всім покажу!", чи розслабленою "зі мною все ок і я обираю ті речі, які мені цікаві" - то я оберу друге.

[Cherry (cherryreadsbooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

3 stars because this book was reasonably well-backed up with references (as observed in the endnotes). However, for a supposedly academic book, it was sensationalised with heavy cultural stereotypes and very presumptuous assumptions that make it less credible -- which is rather unfortunate because one would expect professors from Yale to be nothing less than credible and reliable.

Some assumptions I took issue with pertain to Chinese people, especially when the authors refer to Chinese outside of America:

1) "Today, Chinese kids -- in America as in the rest of the world -- are typically raised on a diet of stories about how Chinese civilization is the oldest and most magnificent in world history... -- and ditto Chinese cuisine." (page 122)

2) "Visit just about any primary school in China, Taiwan or Singapore, and rather than children running around exploring and being rewarded for spontaneity and originality, you'll find students sitting upright, drilling, memorizing, and reciting excruciatingly long passages." (Page 126)

3) "After school and on weekends, it is rare for even very young children to 'hang out with friends'". (page 126)

4) "Being 'deeply proud of Chinese culture' can easily shade into 'We'll disown you if you marry someone non-Chinese'." (page 156)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Never happened to me, nor most of the people I know around me. Sure, my parents have told me stuff about ancient China, but never bragged about how the Chinese are supposedly 'superior' to every other group in world history. It was informative, not narcissism and elitism.

2) This is absolutely false. The system here is stressful, no doubt, but it is not as disgustingly strict as the authors presume it to be. Absolutely, 100% presumptuous. I never felt that pressure in primary school. Kids don't even have to take exams in their first two years in primary school to make the transition easier for them, originality and spontaneity is usually rewarded as appropriate. I have never been made to drill, memorize and excruciatingly recite impossibly long passages. It is unwise to assume these things that are merely uninformed and ignorant stereotypes. Shame on the authors, especially given how well-read they are.

3) While true, it is more for safety reasons than for wanting to trap children in enrichment lessons of all sorts. Having a conservative mindset means not feeling very secure about having your five-year-old child running around on weekends alone with their friends. At most, playtime is supervised and "very young children" should not, in our views, be left alone to "hang out" unsupervised because if something goes wrong, no one old enough is present to help. Another baseless assumption made in poor taste.

4) Exaggeration in academic writing makes your claim look immature. This claim is not true, especially with the younger generation of Chinese who feel the need to take control of their own future and not let others do it for them.

Basically, what I take issue with is the many careless assumptions that were made in bad taste, perhaps to stir controversy and increase readership. It is disturbing that tricks like these would be employed by learned academics. I cannot say the same for the other groups explored, but this book, while exploring a valid concept, is rendered unreliable especially when cultural stereotypes are used excessively (and not proved well enough). Using isolated examples to prove a claim does nothing to show the validity and applicability of it to the group as a whole, as isolated examples may well be exceptions to the rule. Even if not the exception, it is not an accurate reflection of the group as a whole.

What the authors could have done to improve is to have conducted more of their own research instead of relying on 'many studies' and 'relevant studies'. Perhaps they could have added superscripts next to their claims to show that the relevant point has been backed up in the endnotes. That would make the lot of their claims look a whole less presumptuous.

Overall, this book was more entertaining than stimulating or informative. Pity, given the ideas were relevant and had so much potential to be explored to greater depths.

[Gordon Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I originally became interested in Chua's writing when "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" generated so much controversy several years go. I have yet to read that one, but I added this to my list when I realized one of the groups discussed was Mormons. And then when I read J.D. Vance's "Hillbilly Elegy" and learned of Chua's influence on Vance, I bumped this up my list. The Triple Package is a very readable look at several groups that have proven successful in American society and the characteristics that underpin that success. The groups include a variety of immigrant populations—Chinese, Indians, Cubans, Lebanese, Nigerians, and Iranians, among others—as well as Jews and Mormons. Chua and Rubenfeld identify the three common characteristics they believe explain that success (the "triple package") as the existence of: (1) a superiority complex, (2) insecurity, and (3)impulse control. I suppose you could label these differently or break them down a bit further, but I thought it generally made sense.

I'm only qualified to judge their treatment of Mormon culture, and I thought as outsiders they did a decent job. They at least made a sincere effort to understand our culture and give it fair treatment. I don't necessarily like the description of a "superiority complex", which implies we think we're better and are judging those who don't live our lifestyle, but I understand what they're getting at. We're a "peculiar people" who are living a lifestyle that sets us apart, and that peculiarity creates a certain motivation that can be helpful. Their points about the Mormon sense of insecurity—we feel compelled to continue improving— and impulse control were stronger.

Two other observations I found interesting. First, the idea that group success generally follows an arc. Some groups are farther on that arc and their relative success is beginning to diminish. This is particularly true of immigrant groups who achieve remarkable success for several generations but aren't able to sustain the cultural characteristics that generated the success. Second, that the success of some groups is limited to certain professions or areas of society, while others have managed to succeed in a variety of fields. The Chinese vs. the Indians was one prominent example.

I did learn a fair amount about the other cultures she describes. I was taken aback with the evidence of how overwhelmingly successful Jewish Americans have been. And not only in certain fields but throughout American society.

The authors offer some important caveats to their formula, including that they're looking primarily at economic success and of course success can be measured in lots of ways. They also point out some of the notable downsides of triple package cultures.

It was a fun and thought provoking read.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chinese American Tiger Mom Amy Chua and husband Jed Rubenfeld team up to explore why some cultural groups achieve greater than average success in some easy to measure areas than other groups do. They believe that these groups have 3 factors in common: A) a sense of superiority B) and at the same time a sense of insecurity (socially?), and C) impulse control/self discipline.

So if you ingrain in your children, "You can do it; I know you can! But don't brag and think you are actually better than other people!" Send that message and impart a work ethic and willingness to delay gratification, and your children will naturally come closer to reaching their potential, especially if you hold them responsible for their actions.

Can you believe that is controversial? It is if you say that while examining cultural groups according to many of the Good Reads reviewers. Many of these reviewers wrote their reviews before the book was on shelves, or if they waited until the book came out, they did not read the entire book. I know that because many reviewers complained about such factors as "some groups faced discrimination, what about that?" The authors did recognize that and many other of the complaints.

While I do not agree with all of the authors conclusions, I think this book is worth reading and examining. I am in one of the groups that is recognized for success, but I think there are other factors to consider, especially the role of the father.

My group has a low divorce rate and the children are more likely to be raised in a two parent home. Many people discount a father's influence, but I believe that having a father or strong male influence is critical to children. Leaders at the highest level of my group have encouraged fathers to sit down individually with each child at regular intervals and counsel with them. The same leaders have told fathers to treat the mothers of their children with love and respect. This is not enough to produce CEO's, but most of us would feel successful if we can take care of our families, teach our children values, and help others around us.

The authors stated that belonging to any group will not assure success or failure. I think they were trying to show certain factors are more likely to breed success, but you don't have to be a member of a different group to build on those factors. Foster characteristics in yourself and in your family members that will be helpful.

[Katrusya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Я сьогодні добра, а друга половина книги мені прям дуже сподобалась, тож хай буде п'ять)) не про виховання, а про америку й іммігрантів, не про щастя, а про пошук балансу. Ніби прості банальні речі, але автори гарно й грунтовно підійшли, роздивились з різних боків, розказали, що думають, і залишили з натхненням у серденьку.

На відміну від переважної більшості подібних книг, які є просто "історіями однієї ідеї", тут попри єдину ідею розкривається також її критика, розвиток та метафооичність. Дуже гарно, мене потішила.

[Dharmendra Tolani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently read this book. And I mostly agree with the negative reviews on the Wikipedia page. But here are few of my personal observations.

Just for introduction (from Wikipedia):

The central argument of the book is that the cultural groups that have "starkly outperforming" the rest in America possess three distinct traits. These virtues are the presence of a superiority complex, the simultaneous existence of an inferiority complex, and a marked capacity for impulse control.

As per the book, "Indian Americans are have the highest income of any Census tracked ethnic group" but surprisingly most of the book is about Jews and Chinese with almost zero analysis of Indians. Which makes sense as one of the authors is Chinese and another Jew. So they can take liberties writing about their own culture. Whereas if they write something offensive about another culture, the racio-religious backlash would be too hot to handle. So, this choice seems to be practical but shows considerable lack of courage.

Another reason for devoting little attention to Indians could be that they don't fit the triple package theory. If you ask me the reasons for Indians' success in USA, they would be quite mundane actually.

1. India is almost the most populous country in the world. By any laws of probability, there are bound to be more talented/successful Indians than other nationalities.

2. As far as I know, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marwari, Bengali and Sindhi communities would make up the 90% of rich Indian Americans. Except for Punjabis and Marwaris all of them come from coastal states. Punjabis and Marwaris have long sat on some of the most important trade routes connecting India with its neighbors. Being a coastal state/trade route state gives you a lot of advantages in terms of the awareness and network effects.

3. Bihar/MP/UP and large parts of Rajasthan which are backward are landlocked. Which explains the lack of business opportunities and other opportunities in general.

4. The book claims that a lot of Indian Americans have the superiority complex because of their caste. Might be true. But there is a huge Brahmin population in UP and it doesn't have proportionate representation in US due to the reasons mentioned above. So the caste argument is not that strong.

5. A lot of successful Indian Americans are IITians. And IITs have always tried to emulate the western universities. IIT Bombay was teaching Fortran in CS-101 for many years only because MIT was doing it too. So when the IITians do land up in USA, they take less time to adjust.

6. From what I understand, Gujaratis are the most successful Indians in USA. And they are most successful in India too. So it's just a case of rich getting richer in other countries. No other explanations are needed.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amy Chua is no stranger to controversial, provocative writing. Her 2011 bestseller Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother , which delved into her personal experiences with the successes and pitfalls of "Chinese parenting", spurred hundreds, if not thousands, of reviews and blog posts, often scathing and extremely critical of Chua both as a mother and as a person.

In contrast to Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, The Triple Package is much less personal and more detached in its approach. (It should be noted that she co-wrote this book with her husband, Jed Rubenfeld, which may account for at least some of the difference in tone.) She seems to still want to encourage conversation in a deliberately provocative way, but not to open herself up to so much personal criticism. Can't blame her at all after the firestorm she weathered with her last book.

The Triple Package starts with a bold thesis: there are three traits that can predict whether or not your minority group will be successful in America. These traits are a superiority complex, a keen sense of insecurity, and strong impulse control. Chua and Rubenfeld point out several groups that meet these criteria, including Cuban Americans, Nigerian Americans, and Iranian Americans, among others.

Frankly, the main reason I was drawn to this book is that Mormons are one of the groups Chua and Rubenfeld identify as "starkly outperform[ing] others." It's always nice to hear an outsider describe a group you identify with in positive terms. (I guess that would be my Mormon superiority complex showing...or would that be my Mormon insecurity?)

Chua & Rubenfeld's examples are compelling and backed by research. They dig into history and culture to identify why each of these groups has all of the elements of the Triple Package, pointing out not only the positives but also the dark underbelly of the Triple Package traits. Far from touting the Triple Package as the answer to all our problems, they warn "the Triple Package always comes at a price."

To read the rest of this review, visit Build Enough Bookshelves.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its almost shamefully indulgent to celebrate the small victories of your ethnicity. Here, Chua's controversial formula for the successful boil down to habits and motivations found more concentrated among a few cultural groups. Obviously, Jews dominate among a much broader set of categories than many of the other highlighted groups. Chua, believes other groups are on the rise but it doesn't appear that Jews cultural dominance will abruptly decline.

Because of my Mormon family, I read and enjoyed the book's observations. I regret a few conclusions I made while contemplating Chua's arguments. First, Mormons, are unlikely to dominate the Humanities and Arts anytime soon. This is a contrast to the Jews broad dominance. I think, and I am unsure Chua developed this argument in the book, that Mormons have cultural imperatives that drive economic success much more than it drives ambitions for sophistication. I think it has to do with traditional gender roles Mormons zealously encourage. For example, Mormon males have more reasons than most men to obsess to study according to financial payoff because social capital is more abundant for those who can provide a single income household and maintain a middle class lifestyle. We esteem a man who earns sufficient to afford his wife the choice to remain home with their children. This man ranks higher in Mormon circles than the man of letters or broad curiosity who had forgone maximizing his income potential for a more sophisticated employment.

This is why Mormons dominate the professions but are disproportionately underrepresented among the Humanities and Arts. I would love to see my people grow more ambitious with their pursuits but doubt this trend will change. I love them for their convictions to sacrifice personal satisfaction for the greater material good of their family. However, I fear they are going to remain mostly irrelevant debating the most substantive issues of our age. They may sponsor the think tank most able to support their world views but such sponsorship hardly makes its mark on history.

[Alicia Carlsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books of this kind should be read with a grain of salt, knowing that some of the anecdotal "evidence" is just that, anecdotal. I can definitely see why people wouldn't like it as it is definitely not politically correct. I liked some of the points it was trying to bring to the front, especially the last chapter that talked about how our "self-esteem" model in America is causing us as a nation to lose the Triple Package characteristics and thus our traditional level of success.

The small part that I really didn't like was when it talked about Mormon women, almost making it sound like we were victims or second-class citizens to men in our culture when it really isn't so. As a Mormon woman I feel empowered in so many ways because my husband is the bread winner so here's my soapbox on this issue for a moment. I feel empowered: socially (I have a great network of women in similar circumstances that are educated women striving for the same ideals as I am as a mother), as a member of the community (because I don't have to win the bacon I can volunteer in the school where my children attend and other places in the community thus giving back), developing skills (I have developed so many skills I wouldn't have in a standard career setting that helps my family and myself be a better person), even in having a career (many Mormon women like myself have college degrees and can put them to use in so many different ways; mine allows me to follow my passion in a part-time fashion while also taking care of the most important thing to me, my family).

The take-away from this book for me is that we shouldn't see or treat each other as members of different cultures, races, or socio-economic backgrounds but rather as general human beings and help one another achieve success together.

[Carolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this if you are Asian or Jewish. Then, you, too, can feel superior to all mankind, as the household of Rubenfeld-Chua must believe themselves to be.

The husband and wife duo manage to alienate just about everyone through this book, except for the aforementioned subgroups. Perhaps this was their goal? Controversy drives sales and they've definitely stirred the pot, as Chua did with her previous book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (a quasi-memoir/egotistical mockery of Americans, regardless of hereditary background). Information presented as factual is rather biased and, at times, inaccurate (shame on the publishers! - I know because I belong to one of the groups erroneously depicted). The only portion worth reading, trust me, is that on self-discipline (aka "Impulse Control"). However, it's ineffectual because the book estranges its audience through consistent derogatory commentary on the American population, which in this book is widely stereotyped.

While the premise of the book was something that initially intrigued me, the actual product was absolutely disappointing; and, as I mentioned before, the information was flawed and misleading - used (or more accurately, skewed) in such a way as to prove their own biased point: the Jewish & Asian reign supreme. Their superiority complex is even justified, or randomly peppered with the occasional dissenter of said groups that punctuate their speech with frequent f-bombs. Really? This is factual literature?? It just feels like both authors (who are either Jewish or Asian) have a giant chip on their shoulders and are trying to *prove* this "triple package" success to themselves.