Are Chinese Moms Superior?

Well, are they?

You just knew a title like that would generate traffic.

And a lot of discussion.

Now the New York Times jumps in.

Some interesting findings from Julia Isaacs of the Brookings Institution on economic mobility in various countries, here.

Like a lot of the more interesting web content I find on management and economics, a post on Greg Mankiw’s blog led me to this study.

Is Chinese the New Language of the Internet?

That's what this article in The Atlantic is asking.

A few of the comments reflect skepticism. The ones that have actually done some math on this question are the most useful to answering it.

Some Recommended Books on China

Now that I've lived here for over ten years, I am often asked by teachers planning to come here what books I would recommend they read in preparation for life in China.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Search for the Modern China by Jonathan Spence
Treason by the Book by Jonathan Spence
River Town and Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler
China Wakes by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

The last book on my list is perhaps not very relevant for people wanting to know what's happening now in China (for that matter, every book written on China these days becomes dated in no time!) but is useful for understanding a common view of China from the West about 20 years ago. A lot has happened since then!

Self-Introduction

I teach microeconomics and management at school for international students of South China University of Technology. (Yes, it's ironic that I am a foreign teacher in China and none of my students are Chinese!)

I'm a fairly new teacher--this is my second full academic year of teaching--and have found these textbooks quite useful:

Principles of Economics by Greg Mankiw
Developing Management Skills by David Whetten and Kim Cameron
Management by Stephen Robbins and Mary Coulter

Suggestions from other teachers of these two subjects--especially teachers in Asia--are very welcome!