How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America

A fascinating, well written analysis of the reasons for the success of certain minorities in the US, full of intriguing details, for instance about various individual members of these minorities. Even if reality is more complex than three factors, I believe that the ones of the triple package are indeed of crucial importance. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it ... a book that made me reflect about the reasons for my own success and the success or failure of people I know. Interesting to compare with another great book on the subject of success: Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers: the story of success" who looks at individuals, not groups, and who emphasizes the role of the circumstances of their lives.

A superiority complex, the first of the authors' "Triple package" for success, is generally the RESULT of achievement and success, not the CAUSE of it. Low-achieving people have little to feel superior about.

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…

I gave this book five stars because it represents a fresh, very well written perspective describing three major driving forces behind the socio-economic conditions of minorities in the US today and in the past. It describes the underlying reasons why some minority groups are doing very well while others are doing so poorly. It also illuminates on why some minorities have risen in status while others have declined over time. These driving forces include: a superiority complex, insecurity, and impulse control. At face value, this trio of terms do not really begin to hint at what is going on behind the scenes-you need to read the book to find out. The material is well documented, factually/data based, and presents a very good, believable argument.

The voting public needs to read this material. The Triple Package would be especially valuable for students of sociology, economics, and political science, or anyone interested in the topic. This book is not about racism nor are there any political agendas being pushed on the readers.

The book goes a long, long way in explaining many contemporary cultural issues and controversies. The information in the text pulls the rug out from those who profess the traditional explanations for the socio-economic standing of minorities in the US. There will likely be negative feedback from some readers who have a vested interest in adhering to these traditional explanations. In sum, The Triple Package expresses a new, fundamental paradigm behind minority social status in the US.

Chua and Rubenfeld-congratulations on a job well done.

Rich

This book brings to light things about the operation of the brain that has not been discussed in this manner much or at all by other authors. I can't give it the full five stars because there are aspects of the brain study in the book that need more verification by experience and detailed analysis.

Triple package was a very illuminating book with some surprising perspectives. The suggestions proposed by the authors were well supported with scholarly and anecdotal evidence. I do not believe the authors are suggesting "absoluteness" by any stretch of the imagination. Lastly, there tended to be a bit for a bias towards the Jewish and Mormon beliefs that tended to push the limit of reasonableness, relative to the other ethnicities mentioned in the writing. All-in-all, the factors mentioned for the success of individuals/groups are compelling!

This is a Superb Read!

I heard about this book from Fareed Zakaria GPS (TV show). I thought it would tell me what makes people "successful" in life. It did that and much more. After reading a chapter or two I thought the authors were overstating what they actually knew. By the middle I was impressed that the authors really research their topics and by the end they had really sold me (almost). A lot of deep, sophistical thinking went into this and I have told my 5 (adult) children that they have GOT TO READ IT. I think anyone who is concerned about their own success and that of their children will love this book. Finally I was astonished that the number os reference pages were more than half of the total pages (Kindle version). Very impressive.

Thomas Roe, Los Angeles

This book really goes against the grain in explaining the innate benefits of certain cultures over others.

Does a superb job in portraying that thesis - making it an incredibly interesting read!

Inspiring to anyone who wishes to learn how to turn personal weakness into their biggest strengths (regardless of background)!

I can't understand why so many reviewers are taking offense to the content of this book! I'm an American married to an immigrant and it explains so many things I have observed about the differences between me and my family's attitude and practices and my husband's. I would have subtitled the book less controversially, such as "how culture provides clues to the achievement of success". However, unlike the "Tiger Mom" book -- which although I admired, I could see how others could disagree with it -- the subtitle of this one is the only part I found remotely controversial. Here's why:

- The authors go out of their way to explain that success can be defined many ways -- at one point I believe they say (this is the gist) that the most admirable life of all might well be the one lived in true peace with oneself. However, if they were to debate what "success" really is, that would belong in a completely different book -- a philosophical one. Here, they are dealing with facts, data, studies, actual groups of people, and therefore they're limited to addressing the measurable markers of "success" (household income, college degrees, and so forth).

- They devote an entire chapter -- and there aren't many chapters -- to explaining that these people, while achieving remarkable "traditional success", can suffer mentally and so forth. They call it the "dark underside" of the triple package. So, while the authors clearly believe in traditional success -- which it's hard to deny they have ample grounds to do being both Harvard graduates, Yale professors, by any measure admirable, dedicated human beings -- it's hard to argue they believe that every single person should deeply desire to achieve monetary and professional success. (Although I think deep down, every person does.)

If my (and my husband's) personal experience is any indicator, the authors are directly on point in their main conclusions that Americans live in the present, as opposed to many immigrant groups who diligently prepare for the future. I graduated from law school and did well as an attorney, but struggled with setting long-term goals -- making partner at a law firm, moving to a good corporation, or striving toward something that really interested me (becoming a judge). At some level I felt the results were not guaranteed so why spend that kind of energy in the present. My husband, by contrast, (and his brother is also exactly like this) will work until 3 a.m. every day with the goal of achieving some position 15 years in the future. He will study other individuals' career paths online every day, trying to decipher the best way to achieve his goal. He is also immensely better at weathering hardship -- I have been taught something to the effect of "take care of yourself," but there are times in life when you cannot take care of yourself. He has a MUCH easier time dealing with the rough patches in life because he expects them to happen. His mother was much more harsh with him, taking the approach that he wasn't entitled to anything he didn't work for, while my mother was more like "you can do anything you want, sweetie." And having lived with him this long, I can see now that the harsher parenting approach actually made life easier for him, and drove him and his brother to much greater heights (professionally speaking) than I have achieved at the same age.

In sum, I think these authors drew some brilliant conclusions from the data to be reviewed concerning Americans vs. other cultural groups, and shared them in a scientific, non-biased manner.

The premise of this book has little, if any, sociological evidence to support it. While it claims to not be racist in anyway, by arguing that some cultures, racial groups or nationalities are superior to others this book contradicts its own fundamental precept. The authors' argument essentially is that three general character traits that they pulled out of thin air explain why some groups have higher incomes than other groups on average. The fact that the authors are members of the groups cited also puts them in a conflict of interest situation.

Since there is no support for their general theories, they have to write this book instead of an academic paper. To me, this book, like Ms. Chua's earlier one, is a cynical way to supplement income that is already well into six figures with a million dollar book advance. Anyone who tells you that if you imitate what they are that you too can be successful should be avoided.

The book is easy to read and can best be described as pseudo social science which has no applicability to anything other than making people who are successful within the cited groups bolster whatever cultural superiority and biases they may have had already.

The authors Jed Rubenfeld & Amy Chua do us all a huge service in this thoughtful, honest, and exhaustively researched treatment of groups in America. They confirm what we all know to be true at some level: we are (mostly) the product of our environment. Isn't it about time that we examine ourselves and others more than skin deep? Required reading for citizens in a world where group distrust and misunderstanding are all too common.

This study is amazing from a European perspective.
You would never ever read something similar in Europe as it would immediately be heralded by the press as racist, even though the traits that are highlighted in the book as contributing to "success" are nothing linked to race but rather to character, roots and culture. To me this book was an eye opener on so many clichés and wrong ideas on who does well in America that I had when I lived in the US. Also I now understand why my son, who belongs to a minority that is never mentionned in the book (he is French), is surrounded in his Ivy League engineering school by kids from Indian, Chinese, Iranian and Lebanese descent - hardly no WASPs there!!!
It's a pity no one runs that type of study in Europe. Even though I guess no one is willing to open a can of worms because of our 20th century history, that kind of book puts things in perspective. I understand it can be very disruptive for populations who don't seem to strive but it should also be seen as an incentive to improve, shouldn't it?

What do Asian Americans, Cuban Americans, Indian Americans, and Iranian Americans have in common, traits they also share with Jews and Mormons in America? According to Yale University law professors Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld (who are also married to each other), these groups have in common the “Triple Package,” a combination of a sense of superiority, a counter-intuitive sense of insecurity, and strong impulse control that encourages them to forego immediate gratification in favor of longer-term gains.

It’s an interesting argument—not always compelling, but with considerable explanatory power. I can’t help thinking their theory oversimplifies things, or at least overlooks a lot of factors that one group or another may not share with others, but it has the advantage of allowing the authors to capture in their analysis a wide variety of groups that it might otherwise not make a lot of sense to analyze together. The gist of the argument, in the authors’ words, is this: “Success in America today comes more often to groups who resist today’s dominant American culture.” Their point is that each of the three elements that make up their Triple Package runs counter to one feature of what would normally be thought of as mainstream American culture. A sense of exceptionality, for example, goes against the grain of American egalitarianism, while insecurity, or a feeling that one’s best efforts to succeed still aren’t quite good enough, is not consistent with the self-esteem culture that seems pervasive today (look at education, or identity politics, or bookstore and library shelves, among other places). And what about impulse control, the kind of personal discipline that is comfortable with delayed gratification? According to Chua and Rubenfeld, this trait doesn’t jibe with the dominant tendency in America toward present-focused, get-it-while-you-can, instant gratification.

It is important to keep two things in mind. First, the book is concerned with groups, not so much with individuals, even though the authors mention a number of specific, highly-successful individuals. Their point is that certain groups inculcate these “Triple Package” tendencies in their members because of their own group culture and history, with the result that these groups are disproportionately successful. Second, the authors are concerned here with conventional measures and definitions of success, primarily wealth and position. They acknowledge that these are not the only measures of success, but these external markers tend to make individuals and groups visible and therefore might explain something about American society and its values.

Most of the groups the authors analyze are relatively recent immigrant groups. Notable exceptions are Mormons, and to some degree Jews. Why study immigrant groups? There are several reasons. The most obvious is that a few such groups have become successful out of proportion to their representation in the overall population. That’s the whole point of the book. Those groups’ success might help illuminate something about the American “melting pot,” even if it is to show how certain values that are supposedly core features of American social life are negated on the road to group success. But another reason for studying immigrant groups is that there are a lot of immigrants in the US—more than 40 million, according to the authors, though again, not all are included in the “highly successful” category studied here, and not all highly-successful groups are immigrants. But at a time when many are questioning whether or not the American Dream is to be consigned to history, it appears that for some, at least, it is alive and well. And while it can potentially be alive and well for individuals from any background, Chua and Rubenfeld cite studies from the reputable Pew Charitable Trusts to suggest that it may be more accessible to immigrant families. But wasn’t that always the case? That is, wasn’t the dream of freedom, or wealth, or some form of otherwise-unavailable opportunity, the draw for generations of immigrants going back to the 17th century? If those now taking best advantage of that opportunity (and often resented for it) happen to be ethnically different from the descendants of earlier immigrants who comprise the ethnic majority (at least for now) in the US, should that tendency be used to dismiss the dream, or should it encourage us to applaud those who have found ways to still turn it into reality, whether they are immigrants or members of a minority religion?

For the record, Chua and Rubenfeld point to factors other than their “Triple Package” that contribute to (but do not determine) immigrant success, such as immigrant selection criteria. For example, the fact that so many Indian immigrants are graduates from India’s hyper-competitive Institutes of Technology probably has something to do with their success. But while there may be factors beyond the Triple Package that contribute to group success, the authors take care to point out that IQ is not one of them. Some people, they say, just work harder and therefore get greater benefit from the same level of IQ. There may, of course, be a cultural predisposition to work hard, and so in a way the authors argue that it doesn’t matter if there is no discernable IQ differentiation, since what really matters is what you do with it, and some individuals and groups just do more.

While Chua and Rubenfeld point out that the Triple Package is not required for someone to succeed in America—indeed, there are plenty of highly-successful people who are not from the groups discussed in this book—they do not look at the question of whether there are successful groups in American that do not have the Triple Package. This is worth exploring, though it might diminish the book’s focus. But that is one of the quibbles I have with the book. The authors seem just a little too enamored of their theory, wanting it to explain everything and careful to show that whatever has happened is consistent with it. Even when something doesn’t tightly fit the theory, it is explainable by reference to the theory. But I’m not sure the Triple Package theory is strong enough to bear that explanatory burden. The Triple Package explains everything . . . until it doesn’t. The final chapter, in which Chua and Rubenfeld attempt to apply their theory to the American nation as a whole, is the weakest part of the book, and actually undermines confidence in the Triple Package theory. It is also unnecessarily preachy and just somehow muddled. While the book may be a bit simplistic at times, reducing complexity in order to support the theory, overall it is an interesting and often persuasive way of looking at the dynamics of successful cultural groups in America and how those groups interact with both the opportunities and the barriers that are part of the story of life, work, and society in the US.

In “The Triple Package”, Chua and Rubenfeld offer a fresh and insightful understanding of the American success story. The authors identify the common attributes that are at the root of the accomplishment of a broad cross section of immigrant groups. In focusing on the similarities, rather than the differences, of the diverse peoples who have come to this country to build a better life for themselves, their children and grandchildren, Chua and Rubenfeld fearlessly challenge traditional theories of why some groups excel. Indeed, while the book highlights some of the immigrant populations with a “reputation” for success (Chinese Americans, Jewish Americans), the authors place these groups side by side with Nigerians, Indians, and other groups that have demonstrated marked achievement levels throughout the first few generations in this country. Moreover, they show that the traits of the triple package are not biologically tied to groups of certain ethnicities, but rather wax and wane over time in light of cultural influences--the authors unabashedly point out that the success of Asian Americans has diminished in the third generation. Not only do Chua and Rubenfeld bolster their claims through vivid examples of the elements of the Triple Package at work, they provide study after study documenting the verity of their thesis.

Far from being racist, this book underscores that the American Dream is attainable by anyone who can channel the elements of superiority, insecurity and impulse control in a proactive direction. By shining a light on the recipe for success - and making clear that the ingredients are not biologically predetermined, but rather are available to all - “The Triple Package” levels the playing field and should be celebrated as one of the groundbreaking books of our time.

The entire premise of this book is that immigrants come to America with nothing and excel because of 1) feelings of superiority (a sense of knowing they can make it in America), 2) insecurity (or fear of failure) and 3) impulse control (only spend money on what you need...because they came with nothing). The book goes on to say that these traits start to disappear by the 3rd generation because the previous 2 generations worked hard to become prosperous and the 3rd generation sees the benefit of their success. Seems like common sense to me. You have to have a goal or something to work for or towards in order to desire success. There are a lot of statistics woven into this book so much so that I couldn't even find the desire to get into reading it. Very boring.

First of all, kudos to the authors for this book. It clearly states a reasonable hypothesis about being successful
that can be used by individuals even in a non-triple-package group.

But it shies away from confronting the reality of race differences by attributing black underachievement to
"stereotype threat". This is a great excuse for having to come to terms with real racial differences in IQ,
because it cannot be disproved, and it will never go away as an excuse. As long as some members of
your group do poorly, and assuming that your bad culture *does* attack achievers, then no one has to
address the real underlying cause.

Excellent mind-blowing book!!

In the back of our minds we've always wondered...why do Asian kids perform so well?? Heck, my third grade classmates and I hated the Chinese girl in our class because she was so smarter than the rest of us. I've also wondered about Jews--why are they so smart and successful?? Same thing with Indians in America.

This book hit the nail on the head in regards to Lebanese and Iranian Americans. Every Middle Eastern person (Arabs in particular) knows that the Lebanese are good at business and making money. And anyone who is familiar with Iranian (aka "Persian") culture knows that they are the most ethnocentric, arrogant group of people on the planet, lol. They look down on everyone--Arabs and Afghans in particular (because apparently Afghans speak "fake Farsi", when it's not Farsi at all, it's DARI, a different dialect of Persian).

People need to read this book with an OPEN MIND. There is not one racist sentence in this entire book, everything is backed up with research and stats. I, personally, am not a part of one of the cultures that belong to the Triple Package, but I'm not offended by this book at all.

Heck, I read this book and thought....what are these people doing right? How can I learn from them? What can I teach my daughter so she is successful like these people? I am so grateful I read this book.

Instead of being foolish and offended, LEARN FROM THIS BOOK! How can you apply the triple threat package to your own life...to the lives of your children to make them successful??

I'm waiting on Amy Chua's book on HOW TO BE A TIGER MOM....I want to know!

This book basically boiled down to three things:

1. To be successful you have to have a little chip on your shoulder to go out and prove to others and yourself that you can do it. You have to be a bit insecure with yourself to keep pushing yourself.

2. You have to have control of your actions and decisions and work towards a goal and not instant gratification.

3. You have to view yourself or your group as a bit better than everyone else. This one can get people into trouble but the authors cited numerous examples of groups of people moving to America and getting it done.

Interesting premise to the book. More people should read this. The self control point is something America definitely needs.

Did you ever wonder why certain groups seem to flourish economically in the United States while others continue to flounder? Authors Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld, both Professors of Law at Yale Law School, were curious about this phenomenon and decided to investigate. What their research uncovered is downright fascinating. Chua and Rubenfeld present their surprising findings in a brand new book "The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America". It turns out that each of the three factors that contribute to the success of certain groups violates a core tenet of modern American thinking. It is an extremely thought-provoking presentation.

So what are the three elements that drive disproportionate group success? According to the authors they are a superiority complex, insecurity and impulse control. At first glance you might think that a superiority complex and insecurity would be totally incompatible. I know I did. But in a very workmanlike manner Chua and Rubenfeld point out that all three of these traits seem to be present in virtually all of the successful groups that they studied. They go on to explain in clear and concise language the dynamics of The Triple Package. And who are these folks? Mormons, Jews, Cuban-Americans, Nigerian-Americans, Indian-Americans and certain Asian-American groups have all achieved remarkable economic success in recent decades. As the authors point out "Paradoxically, in modern America, a group has an edge if it doesn't buy into--or hasn't yet bought into--mainstream, post 1960's, liberal American principles." Indeed, this seems to be a common thread running through all of the aforementioned groups. Meanwhile, the authors also address the flip side of this issue--why some groups, most notably African-Americans and Appalachians, have been for the most part notoriously unsuccessful in America. As you might expect, there are a lot of factors in play here. You will also discover that the so-called Triple Package seems to have a definite shelf life. It seems that as these groups become assimilated into the American culture subsequent generations begin to reject components of the Triple Package. It all makes perfect sense to me.

While I suspected that this topic might be pretty darn interesting I hardly expected that "The Triple Package" would be the kind of book I would not be able to put down. But that was indeed the case. I found "The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America" to be a well-written and meticulously documented book. There are nearly 80 pages of detailed footnotes at the end of this book. As the notes on the dust jacket indicate "The Triple Package" will transform the way we think about success and achievement. I completely concur. Highly recommended!

The Triple Package consists of a sense of superiority, a good deal of insecurity and a high degree of implulse control. The authors use these characteristics to explain the rise of cultural groups, primarily immigrants who manage to out perform others in our culture. Examples include the Jews, Mormons (in their role as outsiders), Asians and non-American Blacks who have not yet been inculcated with the sense of inferiority the culture supposedly infects them. Much of the material is anecdotal and the benefits rarely last beyond a second generation but the book is thought provoking in sections, stereotypical in others. Some interesting observations on the role of IQ measurements and test results that were surprising - good results are more the result of hard work than native talent in many cases. Good book for those interested in the "nature vs. nurture" issues of achievement.

In Triple Package, Professors Chua and Rubenfeld define the ingredients to success. Pulling together a staggering amount of statistics and original research in a clear and concise manner, this book engages the reader from page one. Its compelling arguments set my mind abuzz as I read through Chua and Rubenfeld's provocative evidence.

This is a must read for anyone interested in the drivers of successful individuals, particular cultural groups, or even American society as a whole. I was particularly fascinated by the section on the United States' founding as a Triple Package nation. Our culture helped propel us to become the most powerful nation on earth, only to have our success eventually erase our insecurities and erode our grit. But as our nation again faces an uncertain economic and political future, we may be poised for a "triple package" driven resurgence.

Chua and Rubenfeld’s focus on particular cultural groups’ propensity for this “triple package” has led to kneejerk charges of racism. Those who levy such accusations, however, likely have not yet read the book. Triple Package goes to great lengths to demonstrate that success is not driven by race or biology but is instead propelled by qualities that are open to all Americans.

If we shy from sensitive subjects from fear of offending anyone, we will lose an opportunity to discuss what has helped drive America’s success in the past - and how we might harness this knowledge for our future.

always enjoy Amy's previous book on political aspects...and this time she co-authors with her husband to layout what make certain group of "people" successful, and not specifically on immigrants at all..the three traits that make groups of people successful are i) feeling special about themselves, feeling unique ii) feeling underprivileged iii) combining the i) and ii) become those who have strong perseverance and unique stability...stoics not so much, but ataraxia...authors listed mormons, asians, nigerians...who have the triple packages to want to reach to the top..also Steve Jobs have them all as classic success..

I commend the authors for tackling a topic that is sure to generate a lot of anger. Through meticulous and exhaustive research (I really appreciated the detail and quality of the endnotes), the book provides very persuasive evidence for the points it is making. Some of us might not like what Chua and Rubenfeld have to say, but factually it is supported. Well done!

I felt disappointed after reading this book. The authors seemed to follow the same worn-out theories of right wing writers that all one has to do to succeed is pull yourself by your own bootstraps. They seemed to forget the advantages that affluence has on ones path to "success".

The author's conclusions are remarkably candid for such a "touchy" subject as cultures and flies in the face of many Corporate American HR themes that all types of "diversity" are essential for successful teams and companies. The painful reality, as clearly supported by the evidence that Chua and Rubenfeld have put forward, is that certain cultures/religions are simply more successful than others in American society because of such cultural ingredients as hard work, discipline, personal self-restraint etc...

I thought this book is absolutely phenomenal. It explains so many things that mainstream pop and social psychology tend not to touch, particularly with regards to the value of insecurity, how it motivates people to achieve things because they feel like they need to prove themselves and not take things for granted. I find myself wishing I could cite it as social theory in research manuscripts.

While extremely compelling, it's almost a shame that their examples are racial, ethnic, and/or cultural groups, because the overarching ideas apply to anyone, as they note in the book. They close with a vision that someday people can learn how to be conventionally successful without having to be socialized into one of these cultural groups. I think they are right that cultivating these three qualities would probably help people be more conventionally successful regardless of their upbringing.

The book is a rather innocuous collection of statistics on the disparities of ethnic groups in the USA. Presented in a vague context of three packages (never well defined). It is more of a never ending monologue of publicly available statistics woven into an intelligible and complex matrix of unsupported conclusions and stereotypes. Guaranteed to put you to sleep...……………….

The book could have been written without as many examples and made the same point. It also seems like the economic argument for success overall is stronger. Perhaps the argument is better applied to individuals than groups.

Why do some rise from humble beginnings to great achievements, while many others don't? Finally, we get someone with credibility to expose the elephant in the room - the fact that some cultures are far more successful in fostering academic achievement than others. Granted, academic achievement is far from being the sole determinant of success, no matter how you might define that term, but it certainly is key ingredient to STEM success, as well as having the opportunity and ability to launch a Silicon Valley startup - talents we're sorely lacking vs. many of our Asian competitors. Obvious 'more successful' cultures - those of Chinese/Japanese/South Korean (Confucianism followers) origin, as well as others with significant Jewish heritage - plain as day to all of us high-school students decades ago. Authors Chua/Rubenfeld also add several other groups, including Indian-Americans. Indian-American pupils have won the Scripps National Spelling Bee 11 out of the last 15 years, including the last six years straight.

More specifics: Of the 141 U.S. Presidential Scholars in 2012, 48 were Asian Americans (52 in 2011) - mostly Chinese and Indian. Asian-American SAT scores average 143 points of the U.S. average - including 63 points over whites, and that gap is increasing. While just 5% of the population, they comprise 19% of the undergraduates at Harvard, 16% at Yale, 19% at Princeton, 19% at Stanford, and many suspect there's a 'glass ceiling' that limits their admissions below what they would be based on National Merit Scholarships and SAT scores. Intel Science Talent Searches over the last five years have picked 23 Asian-Americans (mostly Indian and Chinese) of the top 50. Asians and Asian-Americans represent 30-50% of enrollees in leading U.S. music programs, while all four Americans first-prize winners at the quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Competition (likely the world's most prestigious) were Asian-Americans. Indian-Americans have the highest median household income of any Census-tracked ethnic group in the U.S. Taiwanese and Chinese households are close behind. Since 1965, Indian-Americans have won 3 Nobel prizes and Chinese-Americans 6.

Pepsi, Sun Microsystems, MasterCard, United Airlines, Motorola, Adobe Systems, Citigroup, Citibank, HSBC North America, McKinsey, U.S. Airways, and now Microsoft have current or recent American-Indian CEOs. American-Indian immigrants such as Vinod Khosla have founded more Silicon Valley startups than the next four immigrant groups combined (Britain, Taiwan, China, Japan). Bobby Jihdal and Nikki Haley are governors, Fareed Zakaria, Atul Gawande, Siddhartha Mukherjee, and Sanjay Gupta are well-known leaders in the media and medicine.

Then there's the Jewish-American population, 1.7% of the total. Four of the top-ten paid 2011 CEOs were Jewish Americans, four of the top-ten hedge-fund managers, and 20 of the top 50 on the Forbes 2009 list of wealthiest Americans. They also comprise 51% of Pulitzer-prize winners for non-fiction and 13% for fiction, 37% of Academy Award winners for best director, 13% of M.D.s, three of the nine Supreme Court judges, and 36% of U.S. Nobel-winners. World-wide, Jews comprise only 0.2% of the population, while being awarded 20% of the Nobel prizes.

Stuyvesant, one of the best U.S. high schools, new students in 2013 included 9 blacks, 24 Latinos, 177 whites, 640 Asians. Bronx Science, another NC super high-school, has a student body made up of 64% Asian-Americans - yet, most Chinese immigrants are not admitted via skill or education criteria. NYC offers free tutoring for poor families - 43% of recipients, yet they only make up 14% of the total student population.

The 'secret' of all these successful cultures is no secret - hard work, backed up by parental support. Indian-Americans have formed self-help groups in their communities that help their children in academics and science/computer/electronic ventures; a weekend trip to my local university library invariably shows it largely filled with Asian students, despite their comprising only a small fraction of total enrollees. And I still remember my Jewish high-school peers - all good students, and committed to learning. (Unfortunately, I was neither.)

'Triple Threat' digs into this subject deeper than most, showing that the superior results of some cultures aren't simply an artifact of eg. immigrants being rich. Another interesting finding - Nigerians comprise < 1% of the U.S. black population, yet number over a quarter of the black students at Harvard Business School. (And yes, I can almost unerringly identify Nigerian blacks - they're the ones that usually demonstrate a much better work ethic than my own. Embarrassing.)

Three traits, when combined, propel these more successful cultures, per Chua/Rubenfeld: 1)A superiority complex, 2)Insecurity - a sense that they haven't done good enough, and 3)Impulse control - the ability to defer immediate gratification to instead build a better personal future. I'm skeptical of the 'superiority aspect' they cite - I can't ever recall anyone from those groups acting superior, except possibly out of frustration that others don't exert comparable efforts and then complain they're 'picked on' or 'discriminated against.' The inadequacy aspect - that's been repeatedly demonstrated by others such as the late Professor Stevenson at the University of Michigan who compared parental attitudes, pupil effort, and pupil achievement between the U.S., Taiwan, China, and Japan. (American parents were satisfied with their pupils' progress and our students relatively dumb but happy - completely the opposite in Asia. Impulse control has been linked to higher lifetime achievement previously.

Bottom-Line: 'Triple Threat' is provocative and brings at least a temporary roll-back of PC blindness. It is not the first to do so. Hopefully, us 'happy Americans' will not toss it off as offensive and racist. Fat chance - too many knee-jerk 'thought leaders' will see it as 'radioactive' and try to boost their ratings by dissing it.

When a seedling breaks through the ground and sees the light of day it never looks like the tree, bush or plant it will be. This would seem to be the story for the book at hand, written by a husband and wife team of law professors from Yale University, Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld. The book puts forth a new idea.

The hypothesis is that the great success of some ethnic groups in America arises from three traits: a belief in superiority of their culture seasoned with present insecurity and control of impulses. What they are saying is rather like the old Chinese “yin and yang” concept or riding a bicycle; it takes bits of left and right moves to keep it standing up. They also make a good case for nepotism without ever discussing it. Nepotism is not a topic in this book.

Chua and Rubenfeld note very successful people are more often than not the children of immigrants and especially those who came here for freedom, having escaped Communism, most recently. And, there is a decline in the drive to strive in subsequent generations as those three elements are not present in later offspring.

We were recently made aware of this book in a weekly broadcast of the San Francisco Commonwealth Club. It is rather left-leaning, but not stupidly so. The questions were interesting and you can hear the broadcast at (Link Here) as they have an excellent audio archive.

Liberals want to believe that everybody is the same, when they are not. It is a foundation of the “Equal Outcome” hypothesis that is a basis for socialism, calling for everyone to get “his fair share” with no regard to contribution. They would have Henry Ford getting no more than $5 a day for having developed procedures that made the assembly line work well. He did not invent it; he made it work with interchangeable parts that were really identical unlike those made for hand-made cars.

Where it was expected Commonwealth Clubbers would normally attack “The Triple Package” they did not, but in the questions you will hear twinges of whining “Say it isn’t so!” socialism.

Chua and Rubenfeld do not postulate how we are to inculcate great pride in our culture, “run scared” and control your impulses in our children! This is a tall order for dinner table conversations that where most parental influence is seen during adolescence, but it works in some families, likely where good policies are enforced. Too many "baby boomer" parents have sought to be friends of their kids; not parents. A course for parenting perhaps?

The implications here for educational and motivational materials people and producers are profound. Fortunes will be made while great services to the world economy and our nation will happen as a result of the popularization and implementation of these ideas if it can be made to happen.

It is not often that we get to witness the birth of a nation changing idea, but that appears to be the case for the book “The Triple Package.”

Adrian Vance

Everything is possible in the United States, thé Land of the Free, and hundeds of years on the dream, has hardly been tarnished except that fame and fortune still favours the brave. In the current sitution according to Triple Package co authors Amy Chua and Jewb Rubenfeld .Both law professors at Yale, the founding fathers would be slightly taken aback to hear that immigrants are now top of the social ladder. Amy Chua best selling writer of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother presents a socialogistical study with Professor Rubenfeld that is described by the publisher as profound and provocative, a claim not accepted b y the Cote d'Azur Men's Book Group. The book is full of good news if you are a Morman, a Cuban immigrant or anybody ; pinpointed by the authors' research microscope. Their starting point is that some groups starkly outperform others and that three characteristics can lead to success.One apparently needs a superiority comp[ex with a strong sense of insecurity and impulse control - the ability to resist temptation , ( defined as not giving up under presssure) to deserve success or fame. Ifn the cold light of day these abilities may not seem significant but the authors have decided that the three point package is fundamenta to the success of immigrant trendsetters..Chua and Rubenfeld also say that their package runs so counter to modern American culture that it makes sense that successful groups are all outsiders in one way or another. It is this sort of wooly thinking that leaves the book open to question and one wonders whether or not their enter[prize to benefit from Ms Chua's bestseller. Plus, the seeming fact that Mormons are now dominant players in the nation's boardrooms and that the influx of thoussands of Cubans in 1959 led to today's vibrant Miami and that ten years ago Cuban Americans accounted for five of the top HIispanic groups in the country,leaves room for thought. Indian Americans have the highest income of any census tracked ethnic group, almost twice the national average. Chinese, Iranian and Lebanese Americans are not far behind, And Asians, according to the authorw, are now being called the new jews, while, naturally, the Jews continue to rack up Nobel prizes, The Book Group bore up welll under the weight of unremitting data and repitition, There seemed litttle of real interest to inspire that group, the majkority of whome had themselves carved out vfery successful careers.

I had read several negative reviews of this before reading, but I still feel there are chapters in the book that are worthwhile reading.Some of this is interesting and much of it plods along. Do I believe most of it? A resounding yes. I am not the stereotypical triple package candidate, but I overachieved far above my humble beginnings.

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.

An excellent, well written book. I agree with their main points. I am not sure about limiting everything to three factors. Are there any other points to ponder. Why do Ivy League grads do better? Is it the education, background, or is it because they were good enough to get into the Ivy League to start with. Although, the authors make hints at this, I think they underestimate the impact of "pre-Selelction". Immigrant and ethnic groups in the USA, of which I am one, tend to be more driven. How in the world would they make it across the oceans or border fences otherwise. These groups tend to be in general a cut above the average.

I just finished reading this book, and was extremely moved by authors’ empathetic description of the various immigrants’ experiences. Chua and Rubenfeld delve deep into the immigrants’ experiences of being an “outsider” and their feelings of humiliation when faced with discrimination and negative stereotypes. I found the description of the Cuban Exiles who fled Cuba between 1959 and 1973 – to be particularly insightful. Many of these exiles lost all their wealth when fleeing Castro, and ended up working as waiters in Miami. The authors describe how this loss of their previous status (“status-collapse”) not only created strong insecurity, but the type of insecurity that would serve as a powerful motivational drive to succeed.

Some critics of the book have questioned whether the real reason for the Cuban Exiles’ success story in the U.S. has to do with the fact that many of them came from economically privileged backgrounds in their home countries. These critics miss the authors’ more subtle point: “Scorn, contempt, and above all resentment: These levers of motivation, so well-known in literature, are wholly uncaptured by the useful but bland terms “human capital” and “social capital.” Chua and Rubenfeld then provide a much deeper, more nuanced account for what drove the Cuban Americans to spectacular success. They describe how the Cuban Exiles’ plummet in status was itself an additional blow and extra goad to succeed. They discuss how having capital and wealth alone is never enough for success in a capitalist society: you also need drive, and resentment fuels drive. Chua and Rubenfeld go on to describe how for many immigrant groups the sudden traumatic experience of loss of status, disrespect and scorn served as powerful motivators.

As a Russian immigrant, I believe that Chua and Rubenfeld’s focus on “status collapse” captures exactly what I myself experienced; and how this traumatic loss of status explains much more profoundly my own drive to succeed in the US (much more, say, than the mere fact that we possessed “human capital” – terms used by the usual run-of-the-mill sociologists.) I personally arrived as a refugee with no money or papers. I ended up graduating from University of Pennsylvania summa cum laude and ultimately obtained a Harvard PhD. Most of my drive came directly from the psychological feeling of insecurity and "status collapse" I experienced - feelings that were traumatizing at the time, but which also formed the basis of my drive to succeed.

Also, I cannot understand how critics could possibly mischaracterize the authors for somehow “promoting” some cultures over others. In fact, the book does the very opposite. It focuses on not so much the intrinsic “culture” of the immigrant groups (be they Nigerian or Cuban or Indian), but on the fact that these communities managed to CREATE POWERFUL NARRATIVES OF PRIDE, and in this sense reversed the degrading experience of negative stereotypes that prevailed against their groups. If anything, the book is optimistic and uplifting for ALL groups, for it talks about how any individual can defy the existing cultural narratives about their own groups, and instead “write their own scripts.” One of my favorite lines in the book is: “Families and whole communities can create narratives of pride that reject the master narratives of their society, or turn those narratives around, reversing their meaning.”

Overall, a much more deep and insightful book than your usual “sociological” treatise on immigrants.

People love to paint arguments that they don't like as racist or culturally supremacist. I challenge those who are skeptical to read the entire book and judge it based on what's within its pages, rather than what the media is portraying the author to be. Chua certainly could have put her argument more tactfully, and I believe she should have. But her underlying points are sound. I'll try to explain.

No doubt many critics will attack Chua and Rubenfeld for a narrow definition of success. While it's true that "success" is defined in different ways by different people, that's not the point of this book. Chua and Rubenfeld readily acknowledge that academic achievement and high income don't automatically indicate success, that a fulfilling life has many more aspects than a prestigious school or career. The authors are sparking a much-needed conversation about culture and education, about child raising, and yes, about how the differences in these things across ethic divides can have profound effects on future generations and on this country as a whole.

Chua says the three traits are "superiority", "insecurity", and "impulse control". Her choice of words here can no doubt be better, but once again it's the underlying premise that we should be considering. In a way, Chua is saying that we should check our self-esteem with modesty, continuously seek to learn and improve, and balance daily gratification with long-term investment. The "Triple Package", whether you believe in the term or not, are traits that can be attained by all people for their own individual definitions of success, not just to pursue academic success.

It's simply not fair to say that the authors failed to address all possible definitions of success, or to brandish them as racists, especially when they specifically reject the notion that certain races or religions have a genetic or even a cultural edge. That said, negative responses are understandable given the controversial tone and word choice. Perhaps the diction was purposely selected to sound controversial in order to sell copies, a choice that readers dislike but authors practice nonetheless.

In short, I agree with the fundamental premise of Chua's argument, but I dislike her delivery.

It is not necessary to agree one- hundred percent with a book, in order to learn a great deal from it. The Triple-Package for Success theory which is at the heart of this book seems to me somewhat simplistic. Impulse control, a sense of outsiderness inferiority, and a paradoxical sense of one's own choseness and superiority are taken by the authors to be the three elements which lead to Success in the world. They make it clear that they are talking about external career success and not about inward happiness, or any kind of sense of self- satisfaction with life. They look at American society today, its various cultural and religious groups and focus on those they feel have been most economically successful. They start with the Mormons whose self-discipline, abstinence, dedication to their religious goals, have led so many of them to the top of America's corporate world. But in writing of them and other groups Rubenfeld and Chua also note that the United States was for many years what they call a 'triple package culture'. i.e. One which emphasized hard work, impulse control and putting off pleasure today for reward in the future. They talk about America's superiority complex and its inferiority as junior to the European cultures that looked down on it.
They claim that the America of today is far more an 'enjoy now' culture one which does not have the discipline and dedication it had in past time. This is Rubenfeld's specialty the analysis of why America is not doing so well globally as it should/.
Among the other groups they single out are , East Asian immigrants,(Koreans, Japanese Vietnamese, Chinese) , Jews, and immigrants from Cuba, , India, Iran, Lebanon and Nigeria . They for instance point out how the Cuban exiles who came and worked hard here transformed Miami into one of America's great cities.
But they do not sing a song of celebration success only. They too write about the cost of success for many of these groups, and for instance point out how the Lebanese may like other previously successful groups such as the Hugenots be assimilated into and disappear from America. They indicate that after two generations in America many of these groups tend to lose their edge and special motivation. Acceptance kills ambition for certain kinds of excellence.
This book has been unfairly ridiculed and accused of being 'racist'. It is not that at all. It has simply addressed one aspect of America's complex social reality, and done this in an honest and clear way.
I would highly recommend the book to anyone who wishes to understand much about the dynamic of success in American society today..

The Triple Package was a balanced, fair and informative account of why some groups succeed. I learned a great deal about a variety of cultures and the role that exceptionality, inferiority, and impulse control have played in helping these cultures achieve traditional markers of success. The authors leave it up to you to define what success means to you. There is not a hint of racism in this book so if you're hearing that, it's not true.

You'll probably be able to find examples from your own life where the three markers of success have led to outstanding achievement. One need look no further than the Seattle Seahawks, 2014 Super Bowl champions. They felt superior yet most of the team had chips on their shoulders. They demonstrated impulse control by not getting sucked into talking about future games and the playoffs that loomed ahead. Instead, they focused on the game at hand, choosing to go 1 and 0 each week, resisting the impulse to look too far ahead.

I recommend reading this book and I now plan to read the other works of these fine authors.

It is a truly courageous book that openly recognizes successful cultural practices and cultural groups. Clearly, good cultural values will make America stronger while others will make it decline. The authors rightfully challenge many prevailing cultural values which are making us unsuccessful, such as
1. Instant gratification (a lack of impulse control) which leads to a lack of discipline to study hard and save more.
2. Self-esteem movement (artificially taking away insecurity) gives everybody an illusion of that s/he is good enough does not need make efforts to learn more and do more.

In addition, this book has compiled many good examples on the eight success cultural groups, Mormons, Jews, Chinese, Indians, Cuban Exile and others.

However, their portrait of Chinese American success is inadequate. Though “insecurity” and “impulse control” contribute to their success, Chinese Americans never had “a superiority complex.” Early generation of Chinese Americans suffered from the discrimination of “the Chinese Exclusion Act” and never had a chance to feel superior. Neither are the new Chinese immigrants because China has been behind the US in modern history. More importantly, Confucian values teach Chinese people to have a modest attitude, and to be willing to learn from others.

Furthermore, The Three Packages oversimplify success factors of Chinese Americans. In fact, YuKong Zhao’s book "The Chinese Secrets for Success" provides much better explanations. He attributes the Chinese American success to five Confucian values: Inspiration for a great future, emphasis on education, saving money, caring for your family and developing beneficial friendships. The five Confucian values help Chinese Americans achievea good education, high-incomes, a stable family, and low rates of drug abuse, crime and obesity.

"Triple Package" is a great book to rethink what drives success. However, to understand the good cultural values about Chinese Americans and to obtain some practical guidelines, Zhao’s book provides more depth and breadth.

Can I give a milquetoast white middle-aged American man’s review of the controversial new book by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld, The Triple Package?

The book is a tour-de-force clarion call for people of all types to “kick it up a notch.” The basic message for me is that the world is a very competitive place, and it is becoming more competitive daily with globalization and global connectivity. The book is an American study: the success of certain cultural groups in America. The rest of America, my future children, and myself can heed these comments and find a critical motivation to strive for more. Globalization is creating opportunity for everyone. The best prepared and driven will have the best opportunities.

The soul of this book is found in the nurturing pillar of the family. Our best hope for the future is that the American family sticks together, and is involved in the lives of our children-- parents helping kids map out their future, setting goals, and supporting them in achieving their goals. Love and goal attainment are formidable building blocks towards future success.

Getting involved takes an effort. The TV and Nintendo are cheap and convenient surrogates. But, with a little planning and genuine interest we can accomplish a lot, and inspire our children to make the most of themselves.

I am very inspired by the stories in this book of people who sacrificed a lot, sometimes their own status, for a better future for their family. I am very inspired by the people I know who set goals and work towards them consistently. I am absolutely in awe of families who have clear values that they live by, standards they uphold, and a drive to make the most of their lives.

The Triple Package impresses me with it’s examination of some of the commonalities within certain cultural groups, and I put it down feeling a fiery passion inside me to be a better family, and hopefully be a good dad (if I am so blessed as to have kids).

Thoughtful analysis that tries to stay away from well known bigotries but draws
the reader closer to a well known conclusion about certain very successful
ethnic groups while singling out individuals from lesser recognizd groups in an attempt to lend balance where it doesn't really exist. Compelling.