OPTION B, Facing Adversity, Building Resilience And Finding Joy

by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
 
Anyone who has read Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In knows that she writes well and has a compelling story to tell.  Anyone who has read Adam Grant’sOriginals or Give and Take knows that he also has an interesting set of beliefs and is able to articulate them clearly.  When these two successful authors teamed up to write Option B, it’s no wonder the resulting book is a real knock-out.

Option B chronicles the shocking story of Sheryl Sandberg’s husband’s sudden death at an early age and her struggle to recover from the shock and find a way to go on both in her career at Facebook and raising their two young children.  Adam Grant is Sandberg’s friend and coaches her on how to build resilience.
 
Grant’s belief is that we are all going to face adversity some time in our lives – and we will all have friends who need our help when the time comes for them to face adversity.  He contends that resilience is a muscle that needs to be exercised and strengthened.  When you build up that resilient muscle, not only will you be able to survive the inevitable catastrophes that will strike, but ultimately you will come out the other side stronger and more joyful.
 
I’ve thought back many times on Sandberg’s and Grant’s lessons in this book.  It’s that kind of book:  it will stay with you long after you’ve closed the back cover. (Liz)