This Is Tiger Mom Speaking (final version)

choi

Tiger Mom's Long-Distance Cub; Amy Chua on how she has handled her daughter's departing the den for college. Drilling and discipline from afar? No, not even a growl. Wall Street Journal, Dec 24, 2011.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB ... SJ_Books_LS_Books_5

Excerpt in the window of print: For kids who are used to hearing 'You're amazing' all the time, it's shocking to fail. Tiger cubs, by contrast, are resilent.

Note:
(a) automaton (n; Latin, from Greek, neuter of automatos; First Known Use 1645):
"a mechanism that is relatively self-operating; especially : ROBOT"

The accent is onthe second syllable.
(b)
(i) Peloponnesian War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peloponnesian_War
(431-404 BC; an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta; Result Peloponnesian League victory)
(ii) Peloponnesian League
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peloponnesian_League
(an alliance in the Peloponnesus from the 6th to the 4th centuries BC; By the end of the 6th century, Sparta had become the most powerful state)
(c)
(i) expository (adj): "of, relating to, or containing exposition <expository writing>"
(ii) exposition (n):
"1: a setting forth of the meaning or purpose (as of a writing)
2a : discourse or an example of it designed to convey information or explain what is difficult to understand
* * *
3: a public exhibition or show"

Def 3 is the usual use, but in Professor Chua's essay, it is the first two definitions.  
(d) bear down
(vt): "OVERCOME, OVERWHELM"
(vi): "to exert full strength and concentrated attention"
(e) hang (n): "facility with or an understanding of something <can't get the hang of this>"

facility (n): "ease in performance : APTITUDE"
(f) The "knock" in "one of the biggest knocks against tiger parenting" is a noun that means:
"a harsh and often petty criticism <the knock on him was that he couldn't handle the pressure>"

All definitions are from www.m-w.com.