The Marshmallow Test

Mastering Self-Control

By: Walter Mischel

Narrated by: Alan Alda

Renowned psychologist Walter Mischel, designer of the famous Marshmallow Test, explains what self-control is and how to master it.

A child is presented with a marshmallow and given a choice: Eat this one now, or wait and enjoy two later. What will she do? And what are the implications for her behavior later in life?

The world's leading expert on self-control, Walter Mischel has proven that the ability to delay gratification is critical for a successful life, predicting higher SAT scores, better social and cognitive functioning, a healthier lifestyle and a greater sense of self-worth. But is willpower prewired, or can it be taught?

In The Marshmallow Test, Mischel explains how self-control can be mastered and applied to challenges in everyday life - from weight control to quitting smoking, overcoming heartbreak, making major decisions, and planning for retirement. With profound implications for the choices we make in parenting, education, public policy and self-care, The Marshmallow Test will change the way you think about who we are and what we can be.

©2014 Walter Mischel (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Excerpts from David G. Myers, “Self-Serving Bias,” in This Will Make You Smarter: New Scientific Concepts to Improve Your Thinking edited by John Brockman (New York: Doubleday, 2012), 37–38. Used with permission. Quotes from George Ramirez are printed with permission. Excerpts from Sesame Street script for episode 4412 are reprinted with permission. “Sesame Workshop”®, “Sesame Street”®, and associated characters, trademarks, and design elements are owned and licensed by Sesame Workshop. © 2014 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved.

Great insights into our minds and motivations

The first half of the book would have done well with further editing. The second half of the book was far more interesting and engaging. Alan Alda is a wonderful narrator and that helped with getting through some of the more technical and repetitive aspects of the book.

It was worth it to stay closely focused to the very end. This research is critically important to the future of our educational system, providing preschoolers with a better skill set for success and helping adults understand that change for themselves is still possible.

I would highly recommend this.

Loved the Marshmallow Test!

Wow! I honestly could not put this book down! I was so impressed by what I heard, I applied the teaching in my own life. Simply amazing! For 21 days I have been making positive changes in my life and The Marshmallow Test impacted my life. I have changed my thought process on how I look at achieving my goals! I'm not giving in to temptation. I am thankful I learned something from this book.

not as advertised

if you are looking for strategies to "master self control", this book will be largely unsatisfactory. If however you are looking for a summary of research and findings you will be happy.

Information is Grand

I love Allen Aldens voice he is great the story was good and full of info.

Interesting and enjoyable

I'm sure I'm biased, but I could probably listen to Alan Alda read the phone book for 20 hours and enjoy it. I'm pretty sure I loved the book, too. Ties in nicely with brain plasticity work and mind vs. brain concepts, if you enjoy that.