Option B by Sheryl Sandberg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book supplied by Netgalley for an honest review.
I remember reading about the death of David Goldberg when it happened. He was holidaying in Mexico with his wife, Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook), and suffered some form of heart attack in the hotel’s gym. They found him lying on the floor, bloodied, near a cross trainer. The story resonated with me – we’re about the same age, with the same age children, and the same age wife – so I was interested when Sheryl released a book mixing memoir and self-help.
As is to be expected, Sheryl’s grief is the driving force in this book. She covers how they met, how he died, and then delves into the effect of the aftermath on her, their two children, and all other friends and family. Grief is so personal, that helpful friends sometimes fail to realise that their kind of help isn’t what’s needed. There’s no road map for grief, but there are steps that can help, especially for young dependants.
The book is co-written by Adam Grant, a professional psychologist. His case studies and academic research adds to Sheryl’s emotional story to give balance and general advice, such as when option A is taken away unexpectedly, all you have left is to “kick the shit out of option B.”
This is a fascinating read, sad at times, motivating at others. Worth a read.