Scott Alexander reviews a book about Chinese education, comparing it to criticisms of US schools and examining evidence for discipline-focused vs. creativity-focused approaches to education. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews a book review of 'Little Soldiers', which describes the Chinese education system. The book's author, Lenora Chu, initially resists the strict methods but eventually sees benefits in her son's behavior. Scott compares this to criticisms of the US education system and discusses the debate between discipline-focused and creativity-focused approaches. He examines various pieces of evidence, including twin studies, historical examples, and trends in US education, but finds no conclusive answer. Scott suggests the Polgar method of intense but interest-driven education as a potential compromise. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander describes his increasing hesitation to have children due to his experiences with rare genetic disorders and difficult patients in psychiatry and medicine. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses his growing reluctance to have children due to his experiences in medicine and psychiatry. He describes rare but severe genetic disorders like Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, and shares his fear of having a child with such conditions. He then talks about antisocial personality disorder patients from seemingly perfect families, illustrating that good parenting doesn't guarantee a well-adjusted child. Finally, he criticizes the idea that gentle parenting can always replace discipline, drawing from his teaching experience to argue that some children simply won't cooperate without strict measures. The post ends with Scott expressing uncertainty about having children despite his desire for them. Shorter summary