The readers behind ThoughtsOnShelf. Between us, we get through 150+ nonfiction books a year — so you only have to read the ones that matter.
Each of us covers a defined set of subjects, and every review carries the byline of the person who actually read the book. If you want to take something up with a specific reviewer — a correction, a disagreement, a book you think they should read — their address is listed below and it reaches them directly.
## Michael Harrington — Founder & Editor
Michael started ThoughtsOnShelf after one too many overhyped business books. He covers business, money, and investing, and has a soft spot for books that use data instead of anecdotes. Currently rereading: *The Psychology of Money*.
**Beats:** Business & Money, Investing
**Favourite book:** *Poor Charlie’s Almanack*
**Contact:** mike@thoughtsonshelf.com
## Sarah Whitfield — Senior Reviewer, Psychology & Self-Improvement
Sarah reads psychology and behaviour books with a skeptic’s eye — if a self-help claim doesn’t hold up, she’ll tell you. She believes most self-improvement advice fits on an index card, and her job is finding the books that offer more.
**Beats:** Psychology, Self-Improvement
**Favourite book:** *Thinking, Fast and Slow*
**Contact:** sarah@thoughtsonshelf.com
## David Kowalski — Reviewer, History & Society
David is the resident history reader. He covers history, sociology, and big-picture books about how societies work, and judges every history book on one question: does it explain the present?
**Beats:** History, Sociology
**Favourite book:** *Guns, Germs, and Steel*
**Contact:** david@thoughtsonshelf.com
## Emily Rasmussen — Reviewer, Careers & Productivity
Emily covers work, careers, and productivity — and is on a personal mission to find productivity books that don’t just repeat *Getting Things Done*. She writes most of our reading path guides.
**Beats:** Careers, Productivity, Self-Improvement
**Favourite book:** *Deep Work*
**Contact:** emily@thoughtsonshelf.com
## James Caldwell — Contributing Reviewer, Finance & Markets
James handles the heavier finance and markets titles — the books with charts in them. He translates dense investing books into plain-English reviews and takeaways.
**Beats:** Investing, Economics
**Favourite book:** *The Intelligent Investor*
**Contact:** james@thoughtsonshelf.com
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## How we work
Our reviewers are given no target for positive coverage and no quota. Nobody here is asked to be kind to a book, and nobody’s rating is edited upward. What we do enforce is the standard on our [How We Review](/how-we-review/) page — finish the book, separate the idea from the execution, say who it’s for.
## Write for us
We’re always looking for serious nonfiction readers. If you can finish a 400-page book and explain in 800 words whether it was worth it, [get in touch](/contact/).