The Brainy Business | Episode 557: My Top Books of 2025
Host: Melina Palmer
Release Date: December 25, 2025
Overview
In this special solo episode, host Melina Palmer reviews her top and most important books from 2025. Melina, a behavioral economics expert, shares her annual picks across seven categories pulled from 41 books featured on the show during the past year. The episode offers practical insights, memorable stories, and actionable takeaways for professionals, business leaders, and anyone interested in behavioral science, productivity, leadership, and customer experience.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Episode Introduction & Book Selection Criteria
- Melina’s Reading Philosophy:
Melina reads extensively, both for personal growth and as content for the podcast. She carefully curates which books to feature, focusing on those that provide practical, actionable insights. - Selection Approach:
From 41 newly featured books in 2025, Melina divided her highlights into seven categories. For each, she names one most important book and one honorable mention, based on impact, practical value, and importance to the field. - Access to Book List:
Full lists and extended commentary are available in her “Brainy Bites” LinkedIn newsletter and on The Brainy Business website.
Quote:
"In 2025, I featured 41 books on the Brainy Business podcast that I read for the first time… I decided to break these into categories to share my top, most important that I read in each category during the year."
— Melina Palmer (03:15)
2. Category Summaries and Book Highlights
A. Foundations
Foundational books on behavioral economics and cognitive science
-
Top Pick:
Lucky by Design: The Hidden Economics You Need to Get More of What You Want by Judd Kessler- Explores practical aspects of choice architecture and everyday decision-making.
- Highlights how subtle design influences both personal and professional outcomes.
- Emphasizes that most “designers” want to help people, not manipulate them.
Quote:
"It gives you a chance to see all the times you're maybe making a losing choice, potentially your default for whatever reason, not even realizing there's a game being played right in front of you."
— Melina Palmer (08:23) -
Honorable Mention:
The Winner's Curse: Behavioral Economics Anomalies Then and Now by Richard Thaler & Alex Emis- Classic compilation of Thaler’s foundational papers, revisiting the anomalies that defined the field.
- First time Thaler joined Melina on the show, a personal milestone for her.
Quote:
"This book is a compilation of his original anomalies papers that really started it all."
— Melina Palmer (11:46)
B. Asking Better Questions
Books on inquiry, problem definition, and lifelong curiosity
-
Top Pick:
Ask This Book a Question: An Interactive Journey to Find Wisdom for Life's Big and Little Decisions by Vicky Tan- Innovative, choose-your-own-adventure style.
- Blends behavioral science, design thinking, and storytelling.
- Encourages a mindset shift to see questioning as central to personal and professional growth.
Quote:
"It has this really great quality of feeling like you're asking a trusted confidant, maybe a favorite aunt for their advice and getting answers to your questions as you go throughout the book in a way that I've never really seen done before."
— Melina Palmer (17:55) -
Honorable Mention:
How to Fall in Love with Questions: A New Way to Thrive in Times of Uncertainty by Elizabeth Weingarten- Focuses on embracing uncertainty by cultivating better questions.
- Invites readers to find what matters most and move forward despite ambiguity.
Quote:
"This book really does help you understand what matters to you and ask better questions to help you move forward and thrive."
— Melina Palmer (20:20)
C. Productivity & Goals
Strategies for a meaningful, regret-free, and efficient life
-
Top Pick:
You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets by Jody Wellman- Inspired deeply personal reflection after the unexpected loss of Melina’s father.
- Encourages a life focused on meaning, awareness of one’s finite weeks (echoing the “4,000 Mondays” concept), and embracing life fully.
Quote:
"This book meant a lot to me this past year and I thought about it often, both in thinking about him and also in how I can move forward in this new version of the world in a way that will help me and my family to not have regrets..."
— Melina Palmer (25:31) -
Honorable Mention:
Lean Learning: How to Achieve More by Learning Less by Pat Flynn- Endorses “just-in-time” learning over “just-in-case.”
- Connects to Melina’s own journey starting the podcast with lean, focused learning.
Quote:
"The idea of switching from just in case learning to just in time learning has become a popular theme here at the Brainy Business."
— Melina Palmer (29:34)
D. Leadership: Self-Leadership
How power changes people and the importance of self-awareness
-
Top Pick:
The Power Trap: How Leadership Changes People and What to Do About It by Nick Kinley- Examines how the brain physically changes when attaining power.
- Discusses the predictable downsides and upsides, with practical advice for leaders and organizations.
Quote:
"Our brains actually change physically when we get power, and it does so in very predictable ways… but he gives tips for people hiring leaders so they can have a leadership team that's more likely to succeed and not become toxic."
— Melina Palmer (34:16) -
Honorable Mention:
Defy: How to Speak Up When It Matters by Sunita Sah- Tools for saying “no,” defying unhelpful instincts, and speaking your truth.
- Critically timely for environments where conformity is a risk.
Quote:
“Sometimes you need to defy. It might be your own brain's tendencies, it might be someone else asking for your time or worse, but knowing that it's okay, good and important to defy sometimes and get steps on how to do it. So important.”
— Melina Palmer (36:09)
E. Leadership: Leading Others
Building inclusive workplaces, the difference between mentoring and sponsoring, and using influence for good
-
Top Pick:
The Doors You Can Open: A New Way to Network, Build Trust, and Use Your Influence to Create a More Inclusive Workplace by Rosalind Chow- Explores the crucial difference between mentoring and sponsoring.
- Empowering sponsorship as a means to inclusivity and systemic improvement.
Quote:
"You can be a sponsor by just saying, 'Hey, do you know so and so? She's great at that.' Maybe you make the connection, maybe you just mention them. But that can go so far in helping someone to get a leg up in the world."
— Melina Palmer (39:03) -
Honorable Mention:
Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others by Adam Galinsky- Highlights the “leadership amplification effect” – every action is magnified as a leader.
- Even minor gestures carry weight, for good or bad.
Quote:
"When you become a leader, everything you do is magnified… praise is felt so much more. So give that praise and sponsorship and kind words, even just like remembering people's names as generously as you can as you move up the ladder."
— Melina Palmer (43:59)
F. Experience (Customer/Brand Experience)
Using behavioral design and gamification for memorable customer experiences
-
Top Pick:
Press Play: Why Every Company Needs a Gaming Strategy by Bastian Bergman- Posits that thinking like a game designer is essential for modern brands.
- Provides examples beyond the gaming industry, showing how play shapes engagement and customer loyalty.
Quote:
"Game designers don't just hope people will show up and stick around. They study motivation, design for curiosity, and create experiences that people actually want to return to."
— Melina Palmer (47:26) -
Honorable Mention:
The Like Button by Bob Goodson- Traces the creation of the Like Button and its broad impact on digital culture, social currency, and advertising.
Quote:
"It's a fascinating journey and definitely important for everyone to consider in the years to come as you think about your own content and business value."
— Melina Palmer (50:42)
G. Pricing & Sales
Behavioral economics applied to product development and market fit
-
Top Pick:
I Need That: Creating and Marketing Products People are Compelled to Buy by Laurier Mandin- Explores the "need vs. want" debate in product messaging.
- Introduces the “10x better” rule: new products must dramatically outperform existing solutions to succeed.
Quote:
"To create a new gangbusters product that people need, you have to make something that's not just a little better than what they have now, but it needs to be 10 times better than the existing solution."
— Melina Palmer (54:23) -
Honorable Mention:
Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World by Scott Anthony- Illuminates the history and process behind world-shaping innovations.
- Woven with lessons from Clayton Christensen, making it practical and historical.
Quote:
"It was a fun read with practical advice and I learned a ton about history along the way, which I love."
— Melina Palmer (58:00)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the power of sharing book recommendations:
"So please, please keep those posts and emails and tags coming and let me know all about it. Especially if you're inspired by a book you hear about in this episode."
— Melina Palmer (05:26) -
On personal loss and the meaning of productivity:
"While no one knew it then at the time this episode came out, my own dad only had four more Mondays left before we lost him unexpectedly and far too early... it's been a pretty hard year without him."
— Melina Palmer (26:00) -
On influencing others as a leader:
"Everything you do is magnified... praise is felt so much more. So give that praise and sponsorship and kind words, even just like remembering people's names as generously as you can as you move up the ladder."
— Melina Palmer (44:07) -
On practical application of behavioral science:
"It isn't about never having other questions or finding the perfect answers. It's about understanding the value of questions and being thoughtful about them in your life."
— Melina Palmer (19:15)
Timestamps of Important Segments
- Introduction and Book Selection Philosophy — 00:00–06:00
- Category: Foundations — 06:00–12:00
- Category: Asking Better Questions — 16:45–21:30
- Category: Productivity & Goals — 24:30–30:30
- Leadership: Self-Leadership — 33:30–37:00
- Leadership: Leading Others — 38:45–46:00
- Experience (Customer/Brand) — 46:20–51:00
- Pricing & Sales — 53:25–59:50
- Recap & Closing Thoughts — 59:50–End
Final Reflections
Melina concludes by celebrating the diversity and impact of the books chosen and invites listeners to check out the full list online, connect via LinkedIn, and share their own book recommendations.
Quote:
"If you have a book I should look at featuring on the show this year, let me know about it. I always love interacting with listeners and hearing what resonated with you."
— Melina Palmer (01:02:30)
Connect and Explore Further
- Complete book lists, show notes, and categorized content: thebrainybusiness.com/557
- Melina's LinkedIn (for the Brainy Bites newsletter): Melina Palmer
- Social: @thebrainybiz everywhere
Next Episode Teaser:
Tune in next week for a New Year’s episode with Claude Silver (Gary Vee’s Chief Heart Officer), discussing her new book, "Be Yourself at Work".
This summary provides a comprehensive guide to episode 557 for anyone seeking actionable book insights and behavioral science wisdom, with pointers for further reading and community connection.