Handpicked books / Option B
Option B
Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant
- Lost someone
- Lost my job
- Can't see a way ahead
Option B
by Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant, 2017
Option A is gone. This is about making the most of Option B.
Opens Amazon India. Outside India? Amazon.com
- No Kindle device needed — read on the free Kindle app
- Free sample before you pay
- Delivered to your phone in seconds
Does this sound like you?
- “The future you had planned disappeared overnight.”
- “You feel like this will define the rest of your life.”
- “Friends have gone quiet — they don’t know what to say, and neither do you.”
- “You wonder if you’ll ever feel real joy again.”
If even one of these is true, this book was written for someone exactly where you are.
The book in 60 seconds
Written after Sheryl Sandberg’s husband died suddenly, with psychologist Adam Grant. It mixes her honest account of grief with research on resilience, and stories of people who rebuilt after illness, divorce, job loss, assault and prison. Its message: resilience is not a fixed trait — it can be built, alone and with others.
After reading, you’ll be able to…
- Stop seeing one setback as personal, pervasive and permanent
- Ask for — and accept — the right kind of help
- Rebuild confidence with small, daily wins
- Let yourself feel joy again without guilt
How this book helps
From where you may be now, to where it can take you.
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Where you are
The life you planned is gone
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Step 1
Learn the three traps that deepen pain
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Step 2
Small steps that rebuild confidence and joy
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Where you can be
Resilience you can grow
Try this tonight — free
Three things, every night
A small exercise from the book. Five minutes, a pen, and some quiet.
- 1 Before sleep, write three things you did well today. Small counts: “I ate a proper meal”, “I replied to one email.”
- 2 Then write one moment of joy, even a tiny one — a song, a cup of tea, a message from a friend.
- 3 Repeat for a week and read the list back.
Sandberg describes doing this after her loss. It works against the voice that says “I can’t do anything right.”
That’s one exercise. The book has the full method.
Get it on KindleWhat’s inside
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Breathing again
Sandberg’s first weeks of grief, told honestly — and the moment she learned about the three Ps.
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Kicking the elephant out of the room
Why silence around loss hurts, and how to talk about it.
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Self-compassion and self-confidence
Treating yourself kindly, and rebuilding belief in yourself step by step.
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Bouncing forward
Post-traumatic growth — how many people find new strength after hardship.
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Resilient children, communities and work
Building resilience in families and workplaces, and failing and learning at work.
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Finding joy again
Why joy is not a betrayal of grief, and how to let it back in.
Big ideas you’ll take away
- 1
The three Ps
We suffer more when we see a setback as Personal, Pervasive and Permanent.
- 2
Post-traumatic growth
Many people report new strength, closeness or purpose after hardship.
- 3
Show up for others
Concrete ways to help a grieving friend — and to ask for help yourself.
The book’s approach
- Memoir
- Research
- Hopeful
- Practical tools4/5
- Science & research4/5
- Stories & feeling4/5
- Reading effort
- Easy
Is this book right for you?
Read it if…
- A plan for your life fell apart — a job, a person, a future
- You want both a human story and research
- You want to know how to support someone else who is hurting
Maybe not, if…
- You want a deep look at childhood trauma — this is about recent adversity
What others say
The single wisest book about grief I have ever found. The Guardian
Option B is as hopeful as it is heartbreaking. Author of Being Mortal
I recommend this inspiring book to everyone around the world. Nobel Peace Prize winner
Quotes from the publisher’s page or published reviews. Read reader reviews on Amazon
About the author
Sheryl Sandberg was Chief Operating Officer of Facebook (Meta) and founded LeanIn.Org. Adam Grant is an organisational psychologist at the Wharton School and author of Give and Take and Originals.
A month from now
A month from now, you may still miss what you lost. But you might catch yourself thinking “this happened, but it isn’t everything, and it won’t be forever.” And on your list of three things, there might be a day where all three come easily.
Get it on KindleQuestions people ask before buying
Is it only about losing a spouse?
No. The book includes stories of people facing job loss, illness, divorce, assault and prison. The ideas apply to any big setback.
Isn’t she too rich and successful for me to relate to?
She addresses this directly. Many readers find the research and other people’s stories useful even if her life is very different from theirs.
Is it sad to read?
Parts are moving, but the book is mostly hopeful and practical.
Do I need a Kindle device?
No. Download the free Kindle app on your Android phone, iPhone or computer and read there. Your book appears in the app right after you buy.
Can I try before I buy?
Yes. Amazon lets you send a free sample — usually the first chapters — to your Kindle app. Look for “Read sample” on the book’s page.
What if I buy it by mistake?
Amazon has a return policy for Kindle books bought by mistake, usually within 7 days. Check the current terms on Amazon under Your Orders.
Worth knowing before you buy
The author’s life is very privileged, and she says so. Some readers find the other people’s stories easier to use than her personal ones.
How to read it if you’re hurting
Read the chapter on the three Ps first. It takes ten minutes and changes how you talk to yourself about a setback.
Option B
Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant
Your next step can be small.
Read the free sample on Amazon. If it speaks to you, keep going.
In this book:
- ✓Stop seeing one setback as personal, pervasive and permanent
- ✓Ask for — and accept — the right kind of help
- ✓Rebuild confidence with small, daily wins
- ✓Let yourself feel joy again without guilt
Also helps with this
Not sure this is the one? These help with the same things.
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Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor E. Frankl
Man's Search for Meaning
When everything is taken from you, one thing still is not: how you meet it.
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Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
David D. Burns, M.D.
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
Your mood follows your thoughts. This book teaches you to check them.
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Designing Your Life
Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
Designing Your Life
You don’t need to know your passion. You need to try small things and see.
If you are in crisis right now, please talk to someone. In India, call Tele-MANAS free, 24 hours: 14416
Disclosure: links to Amazon are affiliate links. If you buy through them, this library earns a small commission that helps keep it free. The price you pay is the same. Books are chosen because we think they help, not because of the commission.
Option B
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