How did she do it? That is the question parents and educators kept asking Esther Wojcicki, who has been dubbed a “panda mom”, as opposed to the tiger variety. After years of explaining, she decided to write it down. Her new book, How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results, is the outcome.
“I thought, I’ll write a book, then I can hand them the book, or maybe they can just buy the book, then maybe they won’t come. Not that I don’t like meeting all these people,” she says in her laconic Californian accent. “But it is time consuming.”
Although when we meet at her publisher’s office in London the rangy 78-year-old is fading fast, having talked nonstop about her parenting skills since 7.30am.