My mom is a very warm, typical sort of Jewish-mother type. And my dad has a somewhat, um, different personality.

Every day is like that, eight successive meetings on eight different topics, every one really important and interesting.

It is a foregone opportunity that we could have a trillion dollars more of income for the United States if we were producing at capacity rather than falling so far short of it.

For example, I was privileged to be working at the White House under the Clinton administration and had not finished my Ph.D., and I thought I was the cat's meow.

Like a lot of overcommitted, overworked Americans, I do not have much time to exercise. Plain and simple. Instead of merely accepting this sad fact, I remind myself of it constantly, so that on the 95 percent of days I know I won't make it to the gym, I remember to go out of my way to get my body moving.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't spend a whole lot of time following soccer. But as I have traveled around the world to better understand global development and health, I've learned that soccer is truly universal. No matter where I go, that's what kids are playing. That's what people are talking about.

I'm fortunate to be in a position to support nonprofits that align with my personal priorities, which include women's health issues, cancer research, environmental concerns, and education for women and children domestically and globally.

The literature associating inequality with social instability and poor health outcomes is pretty convincing.