Option B means realizing that you’re reinventing yourself

By Allen Rucker

Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook, author of the mega-bestseller, “Lean In,” and one of the most influential women in America (featured in the new issue of Time). Three years ago she walked into a workout room and found her husband dead on the floor. He had had a heart event, slipped on the treadmill, and died instantly. Out of this unspeakable personal tragedy comes her new book, “Option B,” about life after traumatic events like this. It will be released on April 24th.

In writing her book, Sheryl came across my book on life after TM — “The Best Seat In The House” — and it struck a nerve. Her reaction:

“With honesty, humanity and humor, Allen Rucker takes us through the darkness of what he lost and into the light of what he gained. His ability to express all the complicated emotions surrounding loss – and to tap into the resilience necessary to recover — is extraordinary.”

She quoted from “The Best Seat” a number of times in her new book, and in conjunction with that, commissioned a video of my wife and me telling our tale of TM.