I feel very fortunate to live in Ann Arbor and to have amazing friends who included me in lunch today, with Marina Whitman. My business friends will be interested to know that Marina Whitman was the first woman to serve on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. My geek friends will be thrilled to know that she is the daughter of John von Neumann, the famous mathematician. Dr. Whitman has recently written a memoir, where she talks about building a career of her own in the shadows of her very famous father. I can only imagine how challenging that must have been … but wow did she do it right!

Our lunch was fascinating, an intimate group of several women business owners in Ann Arbor. Dr. Whitman still teaches at the University of Michigan, and I suspect that her class is captivating. She’s brilliant, engaging, and so generous with her time.

I can’t wait to read her book. It’s called The Martian’s Daughter. You can order it now from Amazon, or you can go to her book signing on October 2 in Ann Arbor.