In addition to his activities as a musician, Michael Shapiro has been active as a professional writer.  Author of two highly acclaimed and successful books about Jewish history and culture, The Jewish 100 and Jewish Pride, Michael Shapiro has also been a frequent contributor to magazines such as This Old House and Discover, and real estate trade publications.

Michael Shapiro was an English major at Columbia College and attributes much of his knowledge of writing to its famous Great Books curriculum and the brilliance of its faculty.