Passion from the White House

Obama’s Man on the Budget: Just 40 and Going Like 60 at NYT
To appreciate Peter R. Orszag's way of living.
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His own health care conversion occurred when a doctor told him several years ago that he was at risk for cardiovascular problems. Mr. Orszag changed his diet. Each day he eats the same egg whites for breakfast and salad topped with chicken for dinner, all from the White House mess.
He also began training for marathons, sometimes startling colleagues by appearing in their offices at day’s end in head-to-toe spandex.
Now he keeps two books on his desk: the teachings of Epictetus, a Greek Stoic philosopher who espoused dispassion and self-discipline, and “The Strenuous Life,” by Theodore Roosevelt, an ode to pushing oneself as hard as possible.
But even Mr. Orszag admits worry about whether he can accomplish anything near what he hopes.
“If you look at the tenure of O.M.B. director in the past, it doesn’t seem to be very long,” he said on his early-morning ride to the White House, a 5 o’clock shadow already creeping over his face.