Rip Gerber is a former biochemical engineer and technologist. He began his career at the Central Intelligence Agency, categorizing Soviet newspapers and evaluating recruits in the Psychological Assessment Division. He designed Firestone’s first chromatic polyethylene manufacturing plant, launched the financial industry’s first online credit card application while at American Express, ran global marketing divisions for two advertising agencies and served as Chief Marketing Officer for two public software companies. In 2006, pathologists discovered Rip suffered from acute career attention deficit disorder, so he turned his attention to writing. He received his biochemical degree from the University of Virginia and his Masters from Harvard Business School. Rip lives in San Francisco and Point Reyes, California.