About Rachel
I'm, an educator, writer, reader, and incurably curious person. I'm interested in why people do what they do, how we learn, the stories we tell ourselves, and the strange little rabbit holes you end up in when one question leads to twelve more.
My professional life took a somewhat unconventional route. I spent years in finance before finding my way into education, which probably explains why I'm equally happy talking about human behavior, books, numbers, schools, psychology, or some completely unnecessary fact I learned at 1 a.m.
I read constantly, write when something won't leave my head, and ask a lot of questions. I'm especially drawn to psychology, behavioral economics, education, history, and anything that makes me reconsider something I thought I understood.
These days, I call Peekskill, New York home. It's a small Hudson River city I've grown genuinely attached to, and somewhere along the way, it also became the place where I found my way back to writing.
This site is essentially a home for my curiosity: what I'm reading, what I'm thinking about, what I'm learning, and occasionally what I'm still trying to figure out.
I don't expect to run out of material anytime soon.
Elsewhere
I occasionally write and review books elsewhere online, sharing observations on literature and human behavior across different platforms.
Where it began.
My love of books began with two women: my mother, Raquel, and my aunt Rosa.
They filled our home with books, curiosity, and the quiet understanding that there was always more to learn. I didn't know it then, but they were my first educators. They didn't simply teach me to read. They taught me to love learning.
Years later, I became an educator myself. What they gave me has traveled into classrooms, workplaces, my community, and into the lives of people they may never meet.
I hope some of them pass it on too.
My mother and my aunt Rosa are two of my heroes. Whatever good I've taught began with something they taught me first. I hope they always get the credit for that.
For Raquel and Rosa, who taught me that there is always room for one more book.
Elsewhere
Occasionally, I write and review books in other corners of the digital world. If you're interested in my more formal history, you can find it here:
Professional background → LinkedIn
Current Curiosities
Neuroplasticity · Human behavior · Happiness without the clichés · Cognitive bias · Memory · Behavioral economics · Why we repeat patterns · How the brain changes · And why old books smell so good
For the curious.
Good books, strange questions, and ideas worth following tend to find their way here.