Joanna Strober, wife of Jason Strober, is one of two authors of Getting to 50/50, a book about how to make dual-career households and relationships successful. While Joanna Strober has spent her career as an attorney, a buyout investor, and in private equity, Jason Strober is a software entrepreneur. Together, the couple has three children.

Getting to 50/50 may appeal to both men and women, as it is about how to attain success in all levels of a relationship when both parties have careers, including the mental, home, and physical aspects. The book has been mentioned by the Washington Post, the New York Times, Fortune Magazine, and Business Week, among other prominent publications. One of the more interesting tidbits of Strober’s research is that couples who have dual careers and share household work are happier, both with themselves and with their relationship. Learn more about Getting to 50/50 at www.gettingto5050.com.

For more than four decades, the Marine Science Institute has endeavored to instill an appreciation for the local San Francisco bay area in students through interactive programs. Beginning with the Discovery Voyage, the institute began offering opportunities for young people to experience the natural world as well as learn about the scientific approach and the issues facing future generations.

These programs became so successful that they now attract more than 50,000 participants. They include various marine camps designed for different age groups, ranging from Plankton Pioneers, which introduces kindergartners and first graders to marine life through a boating adventure, to Project Discovery, a four-day experience in which high school students experience marine field-work.

As a non-profit organization, the Marine Science Institute relies on donations from individuals and businesses to support its programs. The institute also receives support from volunteers.

About Jason Strober: A successful entrepreneur, he currently serves as the Vice President of Product Development and Design at 280 Media, a company he co-founded. His previous experience includes founding the internet gaming company TreasureGames, Inc., working for VantagePoint Venture Partners, and co-founding Focalink Communications/AdKnowledge. He recently joined the board of the Marine Science Institute. 

Well versed in business, computer software, and technology, Jason Strober possesses a track record of success in launching and growing companies. When developing software, Jason Strober spends long periods of time in front of the computer; as such, he makes an effort whenever possible to strengthen his lower back. In the following two-part primer, we present some simple exercises and tips to keep your spine and back muscles strong.

At home, kneel down in front of a large fitness ball and rest your forearms on the ball so that your back is in a neutral, normal position. At this point, visualize an imaginary weight attached to your navel, and then pull in and hold that weight into your lower back. Complete the exercise by tracing circles with your forearms as you move the ball around in front of you—the motion should resemble stirring an oversized pot. Your stirring should be restricted by the position of your back; any movement that is too large will result in your back bowing instead of remaining flat. 

Another exercise involves getting down on your hands and knees so that your knees are aligned with your hips, and hands with shoulders. Then, at the same time, extend your right leg and left arm so that they are at the same height as your hips and shoulder. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite limbs. 

The word psychology itself derives from two Greek words: psyche, which means breath, spirit, or soul; and logia, referring to the study of something. As a philosophical concept indicating a science focused on the mind and human behavior, it existed in Greece beginning with the pre-Socratics, but also in other ancient cultures of countries such as Egypt, Persia, China, and India.

The more modern approach of psychology as a biological science only originated in the 1800s, however, when French scientist Pierre Cabanis began interpreting human psychological responses in light of purely physical functions, publishing an article to this effect in 1802. Then in 1879, German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt established the first laboratory solely for psychological research at Leipzig University. This earned him his title as the father of psychology.

About Jason Strober: After studying Psychology, Symbolic Systems, and Computer Science at Stanford University, he continued there with a master's degree at the Graduate School of Business. Subsequently, he launched himself as an entrepreneur, creating several successful companies, including FocaLink Communications/AdKnowledge and TreasureGames, Inc. Now he serves as Vice President of Product Development and Design for his latest business, 280 Media.

Created by Z-Man Games, Inc., Agricola is a fun and challenging board game for people who enjoy strategy. Although the game has varying levels of complexity, it is best suited for adults and kids who are 12 years and older. Game expansions are available, and the game can also be played solo.

In Agricola, you are a poor farmer, living with your spouse in a wooden shack. The goal of the game is to develop your house with things you find on your property including wood, clay, or stone. As the game progresses, you grow farmland, harvest crops, and have children and care for them. The game requires considerable planning and patience.

Agricola was winner of BoardGameGeek’s Geek Madness Tournament and the Aldie Award in 2011. BoardGameGeek had also bestowed the game with the Golden Geek award for Game of the Year in 2008. 

Jason Strober is co-founder of Unbent Media, Inc. He enjoys playing Agricola.

Agricola is a board game manufactured by Z-Man Games that gained rapid popularity with avid gamers for its complexity and diverse strategies. The game starts with each player established as a farmer living in a wooden shack with a spouse and not much else. The game weighs heavily on cards, and players have to plan and use resources as they move through the seasons, attempting to cultivate a profitable farm. The resources are finite, which means that players have to plan and strategize, competing against each other as they try and decide what to do with their land and how to plan their businesses.

Agricola’s play proceeds by taking turns, drawing cards, and playing actions. You can decide to plant crops, raise cattle, or do a number of other occupations depending on what cards you draw and where you land. The game has a number of different editions with varying levels of difficulty that build off the same premise. The strategies are endless, from deciding how and when to raise a family, to dealing with natural disasters, to storing food and other goods needed to get through the long, cold winters. Whether adding on to your humble house, deciding how many kids to have, planning a crop cycle, or looking to branch out into new areas of business, the game poses no end of choices and dilemmas. The game is suitable for players from age 12 and up.

About the Jason Strober:
Jason Strober is a business entrepreneur who has founded several successful startup companies. An avid game enthusiast, Strober founded Treasure Games, Inc., an online game company allowing web uses to compete against each other in tournament play.