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Stories I Only Tell My Friends

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 21,117 ratings · 2,622 reviews

A wryly funny and surprisingly moving account of an extraordinary life lived almost entirely in the public eye

A teen idol at fifteen, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at twenty, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences as a painfully misunderstood child actor in Ohio uprooted to the wild counterculture of mid-seven...more

Hardcover, 306 pages

Published April 26th 2011 by Henry Holt and Co. (first published April 15th 2011)

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Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

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Oct 13, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay, I have to say that I met Rob in Arizona in the early 90's...and I was very surprised then at how charming, self-deprecating and intelligent he was...and, yes, beautiful...This memoir reveals all of that, although thanks to SNL and West Wing, his wit and intelligence have already been revealed. The best review that I read of this book said that it was a love letter to his wife...and it is. He has grown up and I very much enjoyed his look back at the journey thus far.

I also listened to the a...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Trudi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, audiobook, biography-memoir, coming-of-age, books-about-movies

I don't read celebrity gossip rags or keep track of who's marrying / divorcing / screwing who at any given time (not that there's anything wrong with that people!). I definitely didn't pick up this memoir of one of Hollywood's all-time pretty boys hoping for a salacious tell-all about who wears women's underwear or who includes small animals in their sex play.

So why the hell did I pick up this book? Several reasons top the list:

1) Reviews promised it offers a poignant, self-deprecating coming-...more I don't read celebrity gossip rags or keep track of who's marrying / divorcing / screwing who at any given time (not that there's anything wrong with that people!). I definitely didn't pick up this memoir of one of Hollywood's all-time pretty boys hoping for a salacious tell-all about who wears women's underwear or who includes small animals in their sex play.

So why the hell did I pick up this book? Several reasons top the list:

1) Reviews promised it offers a poignant, self-deprecating coming-of-age tale in the long shadow of the Hollywood sign (I'm happy to report that's mostly the case).

2) Rob Lowe: yes, I did crush on him when I was a teenager, and lo and behold these many, many years later, I was curious to see what kind of a man he had grown up to be. Not ever having seen one episode of The West Wing or either Austin Powers movies (a ridiculous gap in my pop culture history), I lost track of Mr. Lowe somewhere in the late 80's.

3) I'm a sucker for memoirs that focus a lot on the making of movies. Don't ask me why -- I don't act, have never wanted to make a film, but I love movies as only a fan can and every so often a memoir will come along that captures the magic of movie making in a way that enthralls me. I'm one of those geeks who will listen to director's commentary and "the making of" extra features, not for every movie, but always for the films I love. Should you care, my favorite memoir of this sort is Bruce Campbell's If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor. Bloody brilliant!

So for all of these reasons, I knew pretty early on Rob and I would be spending a few evenings together. I went with the audio version and am so glad I did. Rob's voice is lovely, but he also offers up a pretty decent impersonation of almost every person he has crossed paths with. Not all of them are great, but most are funny, and a few are so spot on they had me rolling with laughter. He certainly had Patrick Swayze down cold. I particularly loved his wry assessment of his super energetic co-star: "he makes Tom Cruise look lobotomized".

I had no idea Rob's early life included close friendships with the Sheen and Penn family. His one anecdote about the first time he meets Martin Sheen is hilarious -- considering Martin is just returned from the jungle and the two year Apocalypse Now drug-induced, frenzied insanity that was that.

There are no earth-shattering confessions. Much of the book reads like a love letter to his long-time wife (a rarity in Hollywood for sure) and children (two sons), and for a man approaching 50, that is as it should be, and I was glad to hear that he chose the road of sobriety and sensibility. Heaven knows it could have gone the other way -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ciFGqXIUPU&feature=relmfu (less)

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May 19, 2011 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, read-in-2011

If there's one thing I dislike about celebrity autobiographies, it's the amount of affectation and pretension that exist within the pages. While Rob Lowe's memoir certainly contains a lot of name dropping, I couldn't really hold that against him — after all, if you're telling the story of how you worked your way up in Hollywood, it'd be hard not to mention the names of other famous people you met along the way.

I haven't seen much of Lowe's work. I've probably seen two or three of his movies, and...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

A fun, quick read. Great stories with cameos by Cary Grant, Dick Wolf, Demi Moore. Lots of time spent on the making of the Outsiders...but breezes through the West Wing and stops there. Where's the dirt on Sally Field and Calista Flockhart and the week-after-henious week of bizarre plots on Brothers & Sisters, which drove him into a persistent vegetative state, which sounded like a good deal if it meant getting off that show?! Lyon's Den, anyone?

One item of note: you'll perhaps be unsurpris...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Brenda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I would not have thought to choose this book, but I'm glad my neighbor encouraged me to do so. It was a great pleasure to hear on audio book (the author reads the story himself, and does great impersonations of Hollywood actors and directors along the way). I enjoyed listening to the book with my 21 yr old son while we were on a road trip together. More than once we would pull in and not get out of the car for awhile because the book was just that good.

I will say I still don't think Mr. Lowe is...more

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May 01, 2011 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Just brought this one home yesterday. Yes, I have 4 papers due Monday. Yes, I have a full-time job and two children with many end-of-year activities. But I also have a weakness for celebrity biographies - the trashier the better - and come on. It's ROB LOWE. I'm thinking he's got some stories to tell. Plus, the back cover photo is...well...inspiring. Pure eye candy and the reading is pure mind candy. Awesome.

Well, I'm finished. Rob, what can I say? You dished...sort of. Although the celebrity st...more Just brought this one home yesterday. Yes, I have 4 papers due Monday. Yes, I have a full-time job and two children with many end-of-year activities. But I also have a weakness for celebrity biographies - the trashier the better - and come on. It's ROB LOWE. I'm thinking he's got some stories to tell. Plus, the back cover photo is...well...inspiring. Pure eye candy and the reading is pure mind candy. Awesome.

Well, I'm finished. Rob, what can I say? You dished...sort of. Although the celebrity stories were fun, the "Aw shucks I'm just a geeky guy" thing didn't quite work for me. Dude, you are one of the hottest men ever in life. It's just a fact. And to pretend that your beauty hasn't affected your experience in life is just silly. Sure, I accept that beautiful people can feel insecure and have problems. But I don't buy for one second that it was just happenstance that you ended up where you did. People are drawn to you because you are drop-dead gorgeous. You can't tell me in one sentence that you were such a geek that Malibu high school kids wouldn't let you surf (what? They had access to the whole ocean and the ability to keep you from it?) and then share the story about how you lost your virginity when you were seduced at 14 on that same Malibu beach. Those two things do not compute, Rob.

Typical of most celebrity bios, Rob glossed over some of the more unsavory aspects of his past. He barely discusses Melissa Gilbert, although he does acknowledge that he didn't treat her well. Still, according to her book, he knocked her up and left her, which is bit crappier than he admits to. And he also barely mentions his sex-on-tape scandal from 1988. I didn't know anything about it, so I looked it up on Wikipedia. I wouldn't judge him too harshly for most sexy hijinks - sure, banging two women, one of them a 16 year old, on videotape is undoubtedly unsavory, but I think it was consensual. A 16 year old is young enough that she hasn't outgrown stupid, but old enough to say "yes" and mean it. But the part that is more repugnant is that Rob was having sex with a woman or women with one of his friends taking a turn as well. Not as a threesome but as a bonding experience. That goes past unsavory to flat out wrong.

The sex scandal prompted Rob to go to rehab for alcohol abuse. He claimed to love rehab, which struck me as especially self-involved. Isn't it supposed to be painful to work out your addiction by figuring out what makes you tick? Not for Rob, who enjoys getting to know himself this way. He's just such a fascinating guy after all. In a self-deprecating kind of way.

I'm sounding harsher than I mean to about this book. Rob doesn't seem to be a bad guy. And his stories and observations about the people he came into contact with were interesting. He opens the book by gushing about Robert Kennedy Jr. in such a way that I thought this was an introduction to the book by someone else, written about Rob. I think he was trying to show that he was subject to hero worship and being upstaged by a better looking man just like an average Joe. What it demonstrated to me, though, that he had to compare himself to someone who was not only good-looking but was American's form of royalty to top himself.

I guess I just can't quite forgive him for not being Sam Seaborn.(less)

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Jun 06, 2011 Julia Reed rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bought this on a whim and really ended up enjoying it. Lowe is funny, witty, and at times even eloquent (mostly when he talks about lessons learned from fatherhood, or being a recovering alcoholic). You can tell why he called this "Stories I only tell my friends," since much of the book is: "One day, I was walking down the street, and I met this girl, and she was really pretty, and really nice, and she told me she was into acting, and I said I was too. Oh and by the way, she was [insert famous n...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Abigail Frainey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's not that this is the best written book of all time, it's not, let's face it, it got 5 stars from me because it is about my love, Rob Lowe. It is entertaining, lots of famous people named, lots of great stories...face it I wanted more photos and would have a poster of Rob Lowe on my wall (if only my husband would allow this).

If you love Rob Lowe or even like him you should add this to your list.

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Jun 09, 2011 Hip E. rated it 3 of 5 stars

First impressions:

I started reading this because I was buying the Keith Richards book and then I bought the Tina Fey book and I had heard that Lowe does good impressions of all the other people in his book so that sounded funny. Then I bought the Daniel Ellsburg book.

His writing style is not great. Too much. Over the top. Too important and lofty for the autobiography of a pretty actor. Things that are going to bother me:
- His crappy writing style; Tina Fey is much better at writing.
- He's a chr...more

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May 18, 2011 kayla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rob Lowe's life sounds so insanely cool that it's hard to believe it all actually happened to one man. I mean, before I even reached chapter ten he'd already befriended the Sheens and Penns, been on the set of Star Wars and seen the taping of The Muppet Movie. Then he goes on to make some of the greatest films of all time, receive random gifts from Bill Murray and got to work for Aaron Sorkin (genius). If it weren't for the acoholism and numerous deaths of family and friends, it'd be a perfect r...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't believe there were many straight girls or gay boys who did not have a crush on Rob Lowe in the 1980s. That said, his career has had its major ups and downs and who didn't cringe when he hosted the Oscars? But as he tells his life story thus far, you start to get to know the "man behind the mask" so to speak. I found Lowe an intelligent, sensitive and quite eloquent man and he really has a great story to tell. I heard of his childhood and all the pain and laughter that entailed, his rise...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bio_autobio, listenedto-audiobooks_podcasts

*sigh* I hadn't planned on reading this (trying to be practical and realistic about my larger-than-life to-read list), but after seeing him on Oprah (which I only watched *because* he was on), I think I've been suckered in to wanting to read it. (But to make it less bad, I'll go for the audiobook version, so I can at least multitask while I "read" it.)

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One of the few things i dislike about audiobooks is that you don't get pictures. i'm sure there are lots of pi...more *sigh* I hadn't planned on reading this (trying to be practical and realistic about my larger-than-life to-read list), but after seeing him on Oprah (which I only watched *because* he was on), I think I've been suckered in to wanting to read it. (But to make it less bad, I'll go for the audiobook version, so I can at least multitask while I "read" it.)

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One of the few things i dislike about audiobooks is that you don't get pictures. i'm sure there are lots of pictures in the physical book, and i'm missing out.

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Eh, it was okay. There's WAY too much swearing. You can have a strong feeling about or reaction to something, and *not* swear about it. Also, Rob Lowe's impressions -- he often (usually) speaks in an impression of a famous person when he's quoting that person ... They're charming at times, but they get to be a bit much. A few times would have been fine, but ugh! Not so much! Chill with the impressions! We know you're good, but you don't need to prove it EVERY TIME A PERSON SPEAKS!

Overall, the book is okay. It was slightly cheesy at times (You can tell it's coming when Lowe takes on his profound, softer voice), and not as much of a tell-all as I was expecting (he glosses over, or at least it seemed to me like he glossed over, a lot of the stuff that I expected to be big moments -- the sex tape scandal, alcoholism/rehab), but other than that, it was okay. I often felt that it was more superficial (that is, not much of stuff below the surface, not so much of the feelings) than a grand revelation, but ... eh. And a lot of times it almost seemed like he was bragging about all the cool kids he knew and all the fun stuff they did, and that that was the entire point of the book or that chapter or that particular story. We get it: you're hot, you were the hot young thing, you and other hot young things were friends and partied -- got it. I don't know, I just went into it with the impression that it was going to be more like ... his mistakes and how they affected him and how he turned his life around, and not three sentences (I think literally *3* sentences) about a scandal, and a few paragraphs about his drinking and rehab (There's a review at http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives... that pretty much has as much about it as the actual book does, if I'm remembering correctly.), and lots about partying with the cool kids (Although, I suppose the partying is the drinking that led to rehab. And by the way, did he grow up with anyone *not* famous? I know he lived in the Mecca of Acting, but *really*?? *Everyone* became famous? Good God!).

But still, Rob Lowe is hot, and he has a great voice. This audiobook is almost worth listening to JUST for his voice. You don't even need to listen to the words; just let his voice rock you to sleep at night :D(less)

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Jun 26, 2011 Kaliki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, june-2011, memoirs-biographies, non-fiction-challenge

I really gained a lot of respect for Rob Lowe through reading this book. He's genuine, honest, he talks openly about his talents, his escapades, his addictions, and his insecurities. I listened to the audio version, read in his own voice and I feel like that made it more personal. I listened to it at the same time as I was reading Patrick Swayze's The Time of My Life and while I enjoyed that one also, it wasn't nearly the read that this one is. I did however, enjoy the parallels between their tw...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Bean rated it 3 of 5 stars

What just fell on my head? Oh - the ten thousand names that Rob Lowe drops in this book. I enjoyed this and found the writing to be surprisingly good, but the first 150 pages or so definitely exhausted me with all of the random celebrity sightings that he included. Yes, it was cool to hear about Patrick Swayze and Tom Cruise as kids, but c'mon. LeVar Burton? A ten second meeting with Janet Jackson? I liked it better when he focused on his own career. Overall, this was engaging, interesting, and...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Riv rated it 3 of 5 stars

Eye candy and brain candy :)
Do all celebrities know EVERYONE? This guy met Liza Minelli when he was a kid and just kept on going... he drops names like sunflower seed shells. However, he totally glossed over his sex-tape scandal, as if it left his personal life and career completely unscathed, which I guess is the prerogative of any autobiographer; I'll have to read the unauthorized biography for the real story.

Of course, he makes himself sound like a really nice guy, which is the image everyone...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Lilly G rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: celebrity-trash-book-club, fiftyfiftyme

Moral of the story: Rob is not just another pretty face!

It took halfway through the book for me to buy his plea, but his book was well written and touching. He seems like a grounded person, someone you might want to sit down with (I know, I know- every woman under 90 wants to hang out w him)

I appreciate that he included just the right amount of hollywood dirt so it wouldn't be a boring Celeb Trash Bio Book Club meeting. Great context for the Brat Pack, the evolution of his career, etc. And perh...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Jill Adams rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well written...I especially liked the part about the filming of The Outsiders and West Wing.

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May 13, 2013 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

After hearing the infamous stories of Mr. Lowe's wild days, I was genuinely surprised to hear so much depth and sincerity from his life and in his writing voice. Surprised and most definitely pleased.

His stories were honest with both the good and the bad and some were downright hilarious. His childhood stories of the Sheens could be an entire book within itself - his first time meeting Martin Sheen in his neighborhood is priceless!

I also thoroughly enjoyed reading about his hardworking start am...more

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May 01, 2013 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Maybe I was expecting too much out of this memoir... I first read a sample on my Nook a year or so ago and thought that the pace was consistent and I liked the order of how the story was told because it flows better than jumping all over the place. However, even though I still really liked it, I feel some of my high expectations weren't quite met.

I have followed Rob's career for a long time. Not in a stalkerish way, but if I know he's in something I might make more of an effort to see it. I wat...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Margret Leventhal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-books

So, some books I read - in bed, in the bath, waiting for appointments etc. and others I listen to while walking the dogs. 1st person narratives are great audio bboks - memoirs are especially fun/interesting.

I've listened to and read many 1st person narratives such as this but must say that this one surprised me with its quality. It turns out that Rob Lowe really is Sam Seaborn! He is an excellent writer and does a stunning job narrating his own prose. What's more, he's had an unusually interest...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Daniél Minton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Here's another book that I'd probably give 3.5 stars. Rob Lowe is a great guy who overcame adversity, and made real, hard changes in his life to become a better person. I'm mostly talking about his alcoholism, but also his whorish, partying ways that would have left him lonely and empty. He knew he wanted a better life for himself and his future children, and he completely transformed his life so that he could do that. Not many people can do the work it takes to accomplish that kind of change.

W...more Here's another book that I'd probably give 3.5 stars. Rob Lowe is a great guy who overcame adversity, and made real, hard changes in his life to become a better person. I'm mostly talking about his alcoholism, but also his whorish, partying ways that would have left him lonely and empty. He knew he wanted a better life for himself and his future children, and he completely transformed his life so that he could do that. Not many people can do the work it takes to accomplish that kind of change.

While I loved that aspect of the book, and I loved the fantastic, exciting stories he has to share (did you know he dated a princess?!), the book was at times unbearably self-indulgent. If there's one thing I don't like in a memoir, it is hearing about the epiphanies a person had at 4 years old, and how that would shape the next 20 years of his life. Rob Lowe shares some deeply personal, profound, reflective moments that in my opinion are cheapened by sharing with others. Especially if the "others" (I'm talking about myself now) start yawning through them.

The other thing that bothered me about the narrative is that Rob Lowe seems to view his life as a movie. Even though he talks about being aware of cliché, he still fills his story with moments like (and I paraphrase), "And then, I saw my reflection in the mirror. I didn't recognize the man looking back at me, and I knew in that moment that I had hit bottom."

Don't let that stop you from reading the book, though. For every moment like that, there is a great story about someone you've grown up admiring in movies or in politics, or there's a crazy story about some international mystery man getting shot 5 times and walking through the door of the hospital unassisted.

The language may sometimes feel a bit flowery and amateur, but Rob Lowe is a great writer with a warm, conversational tone. While the story sometimes reeks of someone over-privileged and self-indulgent, it is refreshing to know that Rob Lowe knows how lucky he is to have lived the incredible life he's lived. And his stories are definitely worth reading about. (less)

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Feb 09, 2013 Helene rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

Biography is not a genre I would willingly pick up myself and autobiographies doubly so. But when Shelley lends me audiobooks, I will listen to them all. I thank her for stretching me is this area because I've loved some (Bill Bryson, Roger Ebert) and had my eyes opened by others (Patti LuPone). So when I started listening to this one I expected some of the name dropping but ended up with an appreciation of living a life almost totally in the public eye. I really didn't know anything about Rob L...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

My first review of 2013! I finished the audiobook of Rob Lowe’s autobiography, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, on December 30, but this is my first chance to write about it. Narrated by Lowe, the audiobook is charming, enlightening, and entertaining.

Lowe recounts key aspects of his early life, then his journey to Hollywood and his career as an actor. The stories Lowe tells give us glimpses of his early acting days and the friends he made along the way. It doesn’t feel like namedropping when Lowe...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: listened-2013

Thoroughly enjoyed this sneak peek into Rob Lowe's life. He has never been a personal favorite actor of mine, hardly on my radar I guess, but I do so love him in Parks and Recreation. He does a great job narrating this book and I am more eager to dive into his filmography (West Wing, and I really need to rewatch The Outsiders).

I loved the voices Rob Lowe used in the book. He was spot-on! Christopher Walken, Patrick Swayze, Chris Farley, and more. I liked seeing his career unfold and the weird se...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Gary Baughn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: guilty-pleasures

It's nice to read about struggles when you know the person ends up famous and successful. I also was interested in Lowe because of the character of Sam Seaborn on West Wing, which is like expecting John Wayne to teach you about lariats, but be that as it may, the book did not disappoint. There is plenty of Hollywood excess here, and that is fun to get a peek at, kind of like watching Entourage.
What is most remarkable is that Lowe has actually thought about his life, and can put it into perspecti...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Monique rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have always liked Rob Lowe, but more for his looks and my recollections of him in the Brat Pack back in the day than anything else. He caught my interest again when he did Brothers and Sisters, so I decided to give this book a try. I loved the beginning of the book so much because he wrote the stories so well, that I decided to stop reading and wait for the Audiobook to come my way via library waiting list. I am so glad I waited! Hearing these stories in his own voice, read the way he intended...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Chrissy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Entertaining, often funny, gossipy stories from one of the iconic figures of '80s Hollywood. The title is apt, this is less a soul-searching tell all than it is a collection of often amusing stories you might hear at a cocktail party. The book is perhaps best when Lowe describes the atmosphere of 1970s Malibu, a place where many parents -- like Lowe's divorced Mom -- came to "find themselves" and most kids were left to grow up on a potent mix of cocaine and alcohol. The fact that the neighborhoo...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Emily Moore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, ebook, memoir, general-fiction, nook-books

Probably over 3 stars but not by much. I honestly got halfway through the book and then got so bored that I set it aside and figured I would come back to it eventually...took me a lot of months but I finally decided to just power through. It's a really quick read so I was able to get through the second half in one evening.

There is a LOT of name dropping and quite a bit of jumping over the more unsavory bits of his past. There are some fun "behind the scenes" stories about the making of differen...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiography

3 ½ stars. It kept my interest - but he’s not telling things a good biography should.

This is Rob talking about his life and career from grade school forward. I was impressed with his desire to be an actor at an early age. During 7th grade he wrote a letter to Aaron Spelling (top TV producer) about wanting to be an actor. As a result of Rob’s early efforts he was in a TV show at age 15 and a major film at age 18. Rob did not have a stage mother or other adult helping him in the business. His pare...more 3 ½ stars. It kept my interest - but he’s not telling things a good biography should.

This is Rob talking about his life and career from grade school forward. I was impressed with his desire to be an actor at an early age. During 7th grade he wrote a letter to Aaron Spelling (top TV producer) about wanting to be an actor. As a result of Rob’s early efforts he was in a TV show at age 15 and a major film at age 18. Rob did not have a stage mother or other adult helping him in the business. His parents were divorced. His mother was sickly and occupied with other things. Everything Rob did was self initiated and self motivated. He was not popular at school and considered a nerd. So he was surprised later when girls would throw themselves at him. He said “they wouldn’t like me if they knew me,” meaning other kids knew him as “not cool” at school.

I have not seen most of his movies and shows. But I was interested in what he had to say. He really cares about his craft.

As to content, this is mostly stories of Rob interacting with famous people. I wish he had “opened a vein” and told us pain and details about other things, for example: his sex tape scandal, his long relationship with Melissa Gilbert, anything about his brother Chad, his mother’s vague early illness issues, more details about things with the Sheens and other peers, were there drugs in his life (never mentioned), and other things that I don’t know enough about to ask. I’m reminded of the fabulous Isaacson biography of Steve Jobs. We got warts and all. Rob is not giving us that. This should be re-titled “stories I’m willing to tell the public.” His friends would get details that we are not getting.

One thing was annoying. For every actor, director, and other person in the business, Rob said they were great, classic, perfect, oscar winning, charismatic, one of the best, favorite, etc. Although I’ve not seen a lot, every actor I have seen on talk shows does this. It’s as if they are all politicking for possible future jobs. Or, forgive me for the elephant in the room, but is it possible that they want to be liked by coworkers because coworkers vote for academy and other awards? They all do this. It’s good to say nice things about everyone, or in this case great things about everyone, but I question the sincerity.

The only negative Rob said about anyone was the Prince of Monaco. When Rob was dating his daughter Princess Stephanie, the Prince was avoiding Rob at a fundraiser. At the same event, Robert Wagner said to the Prince and some other men “I think he’s banged every one of our daughters.” Oh! Rob had a very active sex life in his 20s. He would see a girl on TV, was able to get her phone number, invite her on a date, and she would go. I wonder if he was ever turned down? He didn’t say. Again he’s not giving us any pain - his or others.

Then he married Sheryl at age 27 and is still married today, twenty years later. That was unexpected and admirable. Prior to his marriage he had alcohol problems. He’s been sober ever since - again admirable.

PHYSICAL BOOK VS. AUDIOBOOK:
The physical book has pictures. Sadly there were none included with my audiobook purchase. I wish he would have included pictures in a downloadable pdf file for audiobook customers. Other authors have done that. Rob wrote and narrated this. He did excellent voice impressions for several celebrities which I enjoyed.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Rob. Unabridged audiobook reading time: 9 hrs and 11 mins. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual language: none. Sexual content: vague references only. Book copyright: 2011. Genre: autobiography.(less)

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Sep 28, 2012 Kristy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio

I has a great time listening to the audio book, read by Mr. Lowe, while perpetually stuck in Boston traffic. I was never particularly a fan of his until I watched the West Wing, but I still never thought I would read his autobiography. And well, I probably wouldn't read it, but I definitely enjoyed listening to it!
I have a slight weakness for Hollywood stories and while I don't care for gossip so much, I do love to hear non mean-spirited stories about actors and directors and how they work and...more

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About Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., and St. Elmo's Fire. On Television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert McCallister on Brothers & Sisters. He currently appears as a main cast member of Parks and Recreation in the role of Chris Traeger.

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Socs and Greasers: Behind The Scenes of The Outsiders from Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends

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“So I came to the realization: Nothing in life is unfair. It's just life.” — 24 people liked it

“I'm thinking of how unexpected and yet oddly preordained life can be. Events are upon you in an instant, unforseen and without warning, and often times marked with disappointment and tragedy, but equally often leading to a better understanding of the bittersweet truth of life.” — 10 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10211494-stories-i-only-tell-my-friends?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347944423l/10211494.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10211494-stories-i-only-tell-my-friends?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe[/url]

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