Thom reviewed The marshmallow test by Walter Mischel
Review of 'The marshmallow test' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Written by the creator of the original study, this tries to walk the fine line between psychology and self help and is mediocre in both. Some good observations are made, and the book may be useful source material. The audio book was read by Alan Alda.
This got a pretty favorable review when released; I added it to my to-read list immediately. Walter Mischel devised the original study, and his anecdotes are a good addition. He also reports on related studies and derivatives. Asked frequently about this study, he emphasizes that correlation is not causation.
He also leans into self-help, suggesting action for parents, teachers, and selves. While there are some good observations here, they can be lost in a sea of discussions of nature and nurture. At times the psychological study descriptions can also be quite dry. 2½ stars.