Don't Eat The Marshmallow Yet!: The Secret to Sweet Success in Work and Life (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Ellen Singer (Author) "Jonathan Patient, normally as serene and confident as the Brooks Brothers suits he favored, was feeling slightly shopworn as he left a tense business meeting..." (more)
Key Phrases: marshmallow theory, Jonathan Patient, Big Mac, Latin American (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Arthur is a chauffeur who is intellectually gifted. Jonathan is no less bright than Arthur, equally hard-working, and a billionaire. So why is Jonathan in the back seat of the limousine and Arthur in the front? What explains the difference between success and failure? And what does it mean to you and your children?

Joachim de Posada, a world-renowned motivational speaker, found the answer in a landmark Stanford University study of children who were able to delay gratification-in the form of a marshmallow they'd been given to eat-with the promise that they'd be rewarded with an additional marshmallow if they resisted eating the first for fifteen minutes. Ten years later, the children who held out had grown up to be significantly more successful than those who had eaten their marshmallow immediately.

Posada saw that the key difference between success and failure is not merely hard work or superior intelligence, but the ability to delay gratification. "Marshmallow resisters" achieve high levels of success while others eat all their marshmallows at once, so to speak-accumulating debt and dissatisfaction despite their occupations or incomes. But it doesn't have to be that way. Using a simple parable and real-life examples (including basketball great Larry Bird and major league baseball catcher Jorge Posada, Joachim's cousin), this life-changing book shows readers how the moves made today can pay off big tomorrow-if they just don't eat the marshmallow...yet!

About the Author

Joachim de Posada, Ph.D., is a bilingual public speaker, radio personality, author, and columnist who has provided motivational coaching for the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Panamanian Olympic team. His clients include Verizon, Pfizer, Kodak, Xerox, 3M, and Continental Airlines, among many others. He is the author of How to Survive Among the Piranhas.

Ellen Singer is the award-winning author of the acclaimed memoir Quicksand: One Woman's Escape from the Husband Who Stalked Her.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (September 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425205452
• ISBN-13: 978-0425205457
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #140,189 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 90 Pages Changed My Life, October 5, 2005

By	Orlando Rodriguez, Esq. "Orlando Rodriguez, Esq." (florida) - See all my reviews

I'd like to preface my review of this book by stating unequivocally that I am not, nor will I ever be a person who seeks intellectual or spiritual solace in the pages of a book. In fact, I've always scoffed cynically at the poor lost sheep who spend hundreds of dollars in the hopes that one of those "Tony Robbins types" will lead them to the promised land. It was with this skepticism that I began to read the pages of a book that will affect every aspect of my life for as long as I live.

My girlfriend recommended "Marshmallow" to me some time ago. Because she is a woman whom I love and admire, I felt compelled to read this book that she credits so much for her strength and success. Eventually, as most men in love do, I did as I was told; I read the book.

Then I read it again. And then again. Dr. De Posada somehow wrote my biography without ever having have met me. He knew exactly which poor decisions I was making in my life, and eerily, he knew the thought process behind those decisions. In a simple, concise, easy to read jewel, Dr. De Posada can teach anyone how to save money, rear children, or even lose weight just by applying one principle to all of their decisions, "don't eat the marshmallow...yet!" If you can delay the immediate gratification, the "quick fix," you will be a happier and more successful person in life. Why eat 10 Bic Macs a month when you can have one filet mignon for the same amount of money and a lot less fat? Why buy the Rolex today when, if properly invested, you could use the money to retire tomorrow and own 10 Rolexes if you wished.

As a young attorney I found my self spending my new-found riches on things that simply will not last. All I had left of the money I would spend were faint memories and hang-overs. I was so anxious to immediately enjoy the fruits of my labor, that I failed to realize those fruits had not yet rippened.

Since reading this book I have made giant strides in becoming a "marshmallow resister." The results can be measured by the resurgence of my once waning my bank account. This doesn't mean that I have become a frugal, anti-social leper. Quite the opposite, the quality of my life has improved. Rather than drinking at the local bar 3 days a week, I go once a week and find that I enjoy it even more. This is what the book makes you realize, that more often than not, less is more. And that if you apply patience and discipline to your life instead of pleasing yourself every chance you get, you will be paid off in the long-run.

Buy this book.
(...)

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Eat The Marshmallow...Yet! : The Secret to Sweet Success in Work and Life, October 26, 2005

By	Maria E. Espinal "Motivational" (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Joachim De Posada speak at a convention in West Palm Beach. I loved his enthusiastic presentation and took interest in his book. After reading this book (it only took about one hour), I gave it to my children and my niece, who are young adults and are spending more than they are making.
I was pleasantly surprised how receptive they were and have already implemented some of Mr. De Posada's ideas about "delaying gratification" and saving for the future.

This book is very easy to read, and should be required reading in economics and given to every teenager and young adult by their parents.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LIFE ALTERING and saying this book is SWEET would be an understatement, March 13, 2006

By	Sarah Summers - See all my reviews

This book will change your life. I guarantee it! Heartwarming, easy to read and with brilliant steps to help you reach your goals (whatever they may be!) This is not one of those sickeningly belittling self-help books. This book does not talk down to you, but talks to your level with insights that are relatable and simple to follow. This incredible book teaches you that whether your goal is to lose 10 pounds or find a cure for cancer... you CAN and WILL achieve it... if you just don't eat the marshmallow... YET!