Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Henry Holt and Co., 2011.
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Performing Arts. Nonfiction. HTML: Actor Rob Lowe's memoir presents 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-seventies Malibu, where he embarked on his unrelenting pursuit of a career in Hollywood. The Outsiders placed Lowe at the birth of the modern youth movement in the entertainment industry. During his time on The West Wing, he witnessed the surreal nexus of show business and politics both on the set and in the actual White House. And in between are deft and humorous stories of the wild excesses that marked the eighties, leading to his quest for family and sobriety. Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last twenty-five years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member voracious
Rob Lowe's life story is a relatively humble narrative that details his life/career path and the luck and circumstances that made him who he is today. His story starts in elementary school in Ohio where he first becomes enchanted with the stage and the actor's ability to change the emotions of the
Despite the lack of detail regarding his more devastating life events and affairs that have been exploited in the tabloids, Rob does not shy away from discussing his addiction to alcohol, his stay in rehab and his decision to stay sober (20 years and counting). He also describes his courtship with his wife and the birth of his children in greater detail. In all, Rob's book is an interesting read and I enjoyed every page. However, It should probably be noted that I have also been a big fan of Rob's over the years and have seen most of his movies. Somewhere I have his posters up in my attic....
Despite this, I think most people would enjoy Rob's autobiography which is a star-studded series of encounters which are told with humor, humility and passion. Those looking for dirt will have to look elsewhere as this is not a "tell-all" expose' but rather one man's telling of some really great behind the scenes stories of his life. I loved it and was sad to see it end!
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audience. While he describes the changing dynamics of his family as his mother and father divorce and remarry, Rob tends to avoid too much disclosure about his family apart from the necessary parts that ultimately lead to decisions on his part. Others have criticized his reluctance to disclose the details of his sordid love affairs, infidelity toward Melissa Gilbert, the teen sex incident, etc. This is true, as Rob skims over most of these major events with just a few words, avoiding any candid thoughts or blame. The majority of his story details his career and acting/directing projects from The Outsiders to the West Wing. These two projects, in particular, are given the most time in the book, which was a great thrill to me as I am a diehard West Wing fan (or "wingnut" as Rob pens). Rob's autobiography reads more as a collection of great stories told in sequential order as he comes to meet other famous celebrities and in some cases, further describes the impact they have on his life course. Some of his stories are chance encounters and others are longer relationships that have a great impact on Rob as develops into a man and actor. For example, after his mother moves them (seemingly randomly) to Malibu, California, he just happens to live next door to Martin Sheen and his young boys, Charlie and Emilio. On the same block are Chris and Sean Penn and the boys all make amateur movies together running around the neighborhood. Growing up with these kids and influences combined with his dream of being a famous actor, adds luck and potential to his dreams. Indeed, Rob's career first begins at 15 when he starts landing commercials. Despite the lack of detail regarding his more devastating life events and affairs that have been exploited in the tabloids, Rob does not shy away from discussing his addiction to alcohol, his stay in rehab and his decision to stay sober (20 years and counting). He also describes his courtship with his wife and the birth of his children in greater detail. In all, Rob's book is an interesting read and I enjoyed every page. However, It should probably be noted that I have also been a big fan of Rob's over the years and have seen most of his movies. Somewhere I have his posters up in my attic....
Despite this, I think most people would enjoy Rob's autobiography which is a star-studded series of encounters which are told with humor, humility and passion. Those looking for dirt will have to look elsewhere as this is not a "tell-all" expose' but rather one man's telling of some really great behind the scenes stories of his life. I loved it and was sad to see it end!
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LibraryThing member mjmbecky
This was probably one of my favorite autobiographies to date. Having Rob Lowe read his own life story, you get a feel for the emotion behind certain chapters in his life, which was such a bonus. The experiences he shared from his childhood, of his parent's divorce, being uprooted from Ohio, and his
One of the things I found most interesting about this autobiography was Lowe's constant identification with his passions. Acting is obviously something that he is incredibly passionate about. He loves acting, and it shows in the way he talks about the movies and television shows he has been in. Rather than always playing the lead role, he learned that he had an aptitude for playing the supporting role in comedies. Now he is engaged in searching out great films that he can direct and be involved in producing. It's nice to see how passionate he is about acting and to hear about the craftsmen side of things.
Stories I Only Tell My Friends is a juicy read, filled with Hollywood tales and insider stories. Rob Lowe has seemed to rub shoulders with presidents, stars, and royalty alike and has the stories to back them. However, his end goal seemed to be more about finding happiness, which he has done with a wife that is his match in friendship and love, and with the jewels of his life, his sons. The passion he feels for his family and acting make his life story even more interesting. I enjoyed listening to this audio book and would definitely recommend giving it a try. The biography feels true to Lowe as a person and allows us a nice insider view.
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mother's mental ups and downs really do correlate to the addictions and issues he struggled through later in life. Interestingly enough, he had a constant, internal dream of the stable family with a wife and children he loved. Despite his good looks, his easy women, and his foray into addiction, Hollywood seems to be something that he has figured out and given a spot in his life, but not given the spotlight. That journey was really interesting to sit back and experience with him.One of the things I found most interesting about this autobiography was Lowe's constant identification with his passions. Acting is obviously something that he is incredibly passionate about. He loves acting, and it shows in the way he talks about the movies and television shows he has been in. Rather than always playing the lead role, he learned that he had an aptitude for playing the supporting role in comedies. Now he is engaged in searching out great films that he can direct and be involved in producing. It's nice to see how passionate he is about acting and to hear about the craftsmen side of things.
Stories I Only Tell My Friends is a juicy read, filled with Hollywood tales and insider stories. Rob Lowe has seemed to rub shoulders with presidents, stars, and royalty alike and has the stories to back them. However, his end goal seemed to be more about finding happiness, which he has done with a wife that is his match in friendship and love, and with the jewels of his life, his sons. The passion he feels for his family and acting make his life story even more interesting. I enjoyed listening to this audio book and would definitely recommend giving it a try. The biography feels true to Lowe as a person and allows us a nice insider view.
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LibraryThing member DJMoore
I loved the way this book was written. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book, but the way Rob Lowe told the story like he was actually telling it to me, and then giving me hints as to who he was describing in the story....loved it!
LibraryThing member mcelhra
I had a huge crush on Rob Lowe when I was in middle school. St. Elmo’s Fire was one of my favorite movies. I watched it over and over and I had the poster of Rob’s character Billy playing the saxophone in my room. When I heard that Rob Lowe had an autobiography coming out, I knew I would have
The title, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, is very appropriate. The book has a very conversational tone; the reader feels like she is sitting with Rob listening to him tell stories. Rob says he wrote this book without a ghost writer and it’s surprisingly well written and fun to read. Rob is not afraid to name names in his stories and there are A LOT of names to be named. He had several chance encounters with people who are now big celebrities but were virtual unknowns at the time he met them.
My only complaint is that he glosses over some of the more controversial moments in his career. The sex tape scandal at the 1988 Democratic National Convention only gets one paragraph and the words “sex” and “tape” are not even used. He doesn’t mention his former nanny suing him and his countersuit in 2008 at all but that may have happened too late to be included.
Overall, this was a great book. I highly recommend it for any child of the 80s who loved Brat Pack movies and of course anyone who is a fan of Rob Lowe’s today. You will not be disappointed.
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to read it.The title, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, is very appropriate. The book has a very conversational tone; the reader feels like she is sitting with Rob listening to him tell stories. Rob says he wrote this book without a ghost writer and it’s surprisingly well written and fun to read. Rob is not afraid to name names in his stories and there are A LOT of names to be named. He had several chance encounters with people who are now big celebrities but were virtual unknowns at the time he met them.
My only complaint is that he glosses over some of the more controversial moments in his career. The sex tape scandal at the 1988 Democratic National Convention only gets one paragraph and the words “sex” and “tape” are not even used. He doesn’t mention his former nanny suing him and his countersuit in 2008 at all but that may have happened too late to be included.
Overall, this was a great book. I highly recommend it for any child of the 80s who loved Brat Pack movies and of course anyone who is a fan of Rob Lowe’s today. You will not be disappointed.
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LibraryThing member akh3966
I don't usually go for pop culture (that would be considered a huge understatement in my household), so this was an unusual choice for me. A family friend gave us a stack of magazines to take on vacation. One of those was a copy of Vanity Fair that had an excerpt from this book centered around Rob
There was a fair amount of name-dropping but, if you can overlook that, his life has been interesting. Especially remarkable to me were the way some of his early chance encounters made an impact.
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Lowe's experience with Outsiders. It was enough to make me want to read the book.There was a fair amount of name-dropping but, if you can overlook that, his life has been interesting. Especially remarkable to me were the way some of his early chance encounters made an impact.
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LibraryThing member kishields
Not terribly in-depth, but Rob Lowe has had a number of interesting experiences and tells his story clearly and with modesty. My biggest quibble would be with the way he overvalues his own work and that of his friends as well. But over all, you end up wishing him well and hoping for good things for
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him and his family. Show Less
LibraryThing member ChemChick
Disappointing. I had heard (don't remember where) that Rob Lowe's autobiography was a gripping Hollywood Tell-All. I found it to be a moderately boring Hollywood Tell-Some. I would describe the first two chapters as rambling, but he does hit his stride and the book ends up being more or less
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entertaining. Yes, he comes across as hard-working, good guy. Yes, he has been fortunate enough to meet and work with some of the best. But if you are looking for deeper insight into Rob Lowe The Person, this is not the book that will give it to you. Show Less
LibraryThing member suetu
Rob Lowe—more than just a pretty face
Despite a crush that dates back to my teen years, I’m the last person who would have bought Rob Lowe’s memoir, Stories I Only Tell my Friends. It’s just not the sort of thing I read. However, thanks to Amazon’s awesome “special offers” on my
I’m not much of a memoir reader, but I have to admit that I enjoy it when celebrities read their own audiobooks. It just makes it a more personal experience. And once I started listening to SIOTMF, I was quickly hooked. I’m not sure what I expected, but this book was wonderfully entertaining. Mr. Lowe’s stories are awesome!
After an opening story about John F. Kennedy, Jr. that frames the collection, the rest of the stories proceed in a fairly linear fashion, beginning when Rob is around 11 years old. The stories focus largely on the very earliest days of his career through his time on The West Wing. Particular time is given to his experiences getting cast in and filming The Outsiders with Francis Ford Coppola. The cast of that film really was amazing, because it introduced an entire generation of young actors, including Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, and many others. Other eighties films that were formative in my youth were covered as well.
I have to admit my favorite stories were the ones that dealt with Hollywood royalty, people you never would have expected Rob Lowe to have had contact with—particularly the experiences that he had. No two ways about it, the man has some flat out FANTASTIC stories!
Lowe strikes a candid yet respectful tone as he discusses family, colleagues, royalty. In fact, the only person to get any sort of harsh treatment is Lowe himself, as he admits career mistakes, foibles, and personal failings. He acknowledges his addiction issues and discusses his experiences before and after getting help, but this is not an addiction memoir. Mostly, it’s just good entertainment. For me, it was a guilty pleasure.
There are many more recent years that weren’t covered in this book. Should Mr. Lowe continue his stories someday, they won’t have to lure me in with a free audiobook. I’ll be waiting for the next volume. I like this guy!
Despite a crush that dates back to my teen years, I’m the last person who would have bought Rob Lowe’s memoir, Stories I Only Tell my Friends. It’s just not the sort of thing I read. However, thanks to Amazon’s awesome “special offers” on my
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Kindle, I was able to get the audiobook for free through Audible.com. And I can’t resist that. I just can’t.I’m not much of a memoir reader, but I have to admit that I enjoy it when celebrities read their own audiobooks. It just makes it a more personal experience. And once I started listening to SIOTMF, I was quickly hooked. I’m not sure what I expected, but this book was wonderfully entertaining. Mr. Lowe’s stories are awesome!
After an opening story about John F. Kennedy, Jr. that frames the collection, the rest of the stories proceed in a fairly linear fashion, beginning when Rob is around 11 years old. The stories focus largely on the very earliest days of his career through his time on The West Wing. Particular time is given to his experiences getting cast in and filming The Outsiders with Francis Ford Coppola. The cast of that film really was amazing, because it introduced an entire generation of young actors, including Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, and many others. Other eighties films that were formative in my youth were covered as well.
I have to admit my favorite stories were the ones that dealt with Hollywood royalty, people you never would have expected Rob Lowe to have had contact with—particularly the experiences that he had. No two ways about it, the man has some flat out FANTASTIC stories!
Lowe strikes a candid yet respectful tone as he discusses family, colleagues, royalty. In fact, the only person to get any sort of harsh treatment is Lowe himself, as he admits career mistakes, foibles, and personal failings. He acknowledges his addiction issues and discusses his experiences before and after getting help, but this is not an addiction memoir. Mostly, it’s just good entertainment. For me, it was a guilty pleasure.
There are many more recent years that weren’t covered in this book. Should Mr. Lowe continue his stories someday, they won’t have to lure me in with a free audiobook. I’ll be waiting for the next volume. I like this guy!
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LibraryThing member kaulsu
First off: who knew? Who knew Lowe could do such spot-on vocal impersonations? Who knew he was a recovering alcoholic 14 years sober? Who knew he was successfully married (what a rarity in Hollywood) with two teenaged boys? Who knew he was pretty much chased out of "The West Wing" by being the only
Of course, I am probably the last one who would have known any of this. Besides West Wing, the only other project of his that I ever saw was "Wayne's World." That's right: rock on, Garth.
There was nothing earth shattering in this book. He mentions a lot of people (and speaks their dialog in "their" voices!), but I realized later that he didn't mention the folks he really didn't get on with. Without saying it, he pretty much following all mothers' advice: if you don't have something nice to say about someone, don't say anything. Yes, somethings were rather glossed over. But, you know, I really wasn't interested in sleaze.
It was a fun listen and I am glad I chose it. Five stars reflects that enjoyment.
At any rate, my best advice in choosing an audio book is to choose memoirs read by the author.
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cast member to not get a re-negotiated payment package?Of course, I am probably the last one who would have known any of this. Besides West Wing, the only other project of his that I ever saw was "Wayne's World." That's right: rock on, Garth.
There was nothing earth shattering in this book. He mentions a lot of people (and speaks their dialog in "their" voices!), but I realized later that he didn't mention the folks he really didn't get on with. Without saying it, he pretty much following all mothers' advice: if you don't have something nice to say about someone, don't say anything. Yes, somethings were rather glossed over. But, you know, I really wasn't interested in sleaze.
It was a fun listen and I am glad I chose it. Five stars reflects that enjoyment.
At any rate, my best advice in choosing an audio book is to choose memoirs read by the author.
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LibraryThing member TFS93
I was hoping it would be more revealing. I'm not interested in the political parts so that was boring for me. I was hoping for something about his scandals but none of that here. He sure didn't have much to say about Melissa Gilbert. While I did find Lowe to be a good writer I just wished the
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stories had been a little more eye opening! Show Less
LibraryThing member eleanor_eader
I’ve only seen a handful of examples of Lowe’s acting; I like him, but he’s not a must-see actor for me (I tend to angle towards character rather than looks or celebrity which is perhaps why this is only about the sixth celebrity autobiography I’ve ever read). I thought he was one of the
Lowe is a generous, observant, likeable and intelligent writer; he doesn’t dwell on the dark points in his life, but neither does he deny them, and for a self-confessed one-time deep avoider of unpleasantness, I think this is a very mature autobiography. His enthusiasm for his work, and the culture surrounding it is heartening, in that is seems absolutely real rather than defensive or jaded, and he has led a fascinating life that he renders instantly relatable. From Rob Lowe, name dropping is a classy and exciting habit, because he is so genuinely thrilled to have met and worked with these people. No one is mentioned just for the same of getting their name into the text, everything adds context and texture to a life that is actually worth reading about on every level. I think I’ll be giving celebrity bios more of a chance on the strength of this one.
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better-cast members of The Stand, but didn’t really notice him much at all until The West Wing, with which I fell absolutely in love, and it was that association that made me curious to read his biography. I did not believe that the humorous, slightly naïve, fiercely portrayed intelligence of Sam Seaborne came from nowhere – I though there was a good chance that the actor behind the character was articulate, smart, funny and worth reading. I wasn’t disappointed, except I could have happily read far more anecdotes from The West Wing than were actually included; although he covered the experience of working there only slightly less thoroughly than his first movie break, there was comparatively little about working with the other actors. I’m just going to have to get over the absence of DVD extras for that show some other way.Lowe is a generous, observant, likeable and intelligent writer; he doesn’t dwell on the dark points in his life, but neither does he deny them, and for a self-confessed one-time deep avoider of unpleasantness, I think this is a very mature autobiography. His enthusiasm for his work, and the culture surrounding it is heartening, in that is seems absolutely real rather than defensive or jaded, and he has led a fascinating life that he renders instantly relatable. From Rob Lowe, name dropping is a classy and exciting habit, because he is so genuinely thrilled to have met and worked with these people. No one is mentioned just for the same of getting their name into the text, everything adds context and texture to a life that is actually worth reading about on every level. I think I’ll be giving celebrity bios more of a chance on the strength of this one.
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LibraryThing member bacreads
I had heard how well written this book was and it did not disappoint me. Lowe has a clever way of moving the narrative and intertwining the famous people who were in his life without coming off as "look who I know". His life was not always easy but he doesn't whine and is appreciative of what he
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has. An easy but entertaining read. Show Less
LibraryThing member SigmundFraud
I rarely go to movies, don't know anything about Hollywood and never heard of Rob Lowe, but I happen to see this book at the public library. I picked it up and thumbed through it and though an unlikely read for me I decided to try it. And it is terrific. Highly charged sexually. Very well written.
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I felt like he was telling me personally the story of his life up until age 26. His next book will take us to his current age of about 47. His is a compelling story. Despite his addiction problems, it is an upbeat story and I felt good about the guy. I highly recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Florinda
For years, celebrity memoirs have been my guilty-pleasure reading--in fact, they were the source of so much reading guilt that I rarely indulged in them at all. But I've been exploring audiobooks during the past year, and I've discovered that they're an excellent medium for this particular genre.
Rob Lowe first decided he wanted to be an actor as a kid in Dayton, Ohio, and when he moved to Malibu, California with his mother and brothers after her second marriage broke up, he discovered a very different environment from the community theaters where he’d started out. Malibu was already famous for its surf scene and beach culture, but the town was a more economically diverse place in the 1970s than it is now, and while some of his public-school classmates had rich and famous parents, many residents, including his own family, had no connection to or real understanding of “the business.” He had to learn a lot on his own and on the job, but he was driven to do it (sometimes literally, at least before he turned 16), starting in commercials, landing a short-lived sitcom at age 14, and scoring some steady work in ABC’s Afterschool Specials series of TV movies. His first big film role came as part of the large cast of up-and-comers in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of the frequently-banned YA novel The Outsiders in 1982, and by the mid-80s, he’d reached Next Big Thing status as part of another iconic ensemble cast in St. Elmo’s Fire. Anyone who’s that successful, that young, and that lacking in wise guidance is likely to make some unwise life choices, and Lowe’s pretty honest about the ones he made throughout his twenties--although they did give him some terrific stories to tell. The fact that he sobered up, grew up, and settled down is why he’s around to tell them now.
As he moved beyond his teen-idol, pretty-boy years (although he has by no means lost his looks), Lowe worked regularly, but his public profile rose and fell as he spent most of the 1990s moving between movies and theater, and developing an unexpected flair for comedy. And just as his young family was making him less interested in traveling for work, he got a chance at a role that required nothing more than daily freeway commutes...and the occasion location shoot in Washington DC. For me, Lowe’s portrayal of speechwriter Sam Seaborn is one of the reasons that the first three seasons of The West Wing are some of the best hours of drama ever on television. These days, he combines off-camera projects with television work, always looking for good stories.
I can’t really imagine experiencing Stories I Only Tell My Friends in any format but audio, and it couldn’t be narrated by anyone other than the author. These are Rob Lowe’s stories, and they’re revealing, personal, intimate (although rarely gossipy), surprisingly relatable, and almost never dull. He presents himself with a wry, self-deprecating sense of humor and genuine emotion, and I found him and his stories thoroughly charming. In all honesty, I’ve liked him for years, but I really enjoyed listening to him tell me the stories he’d previously saved for his friends during my own commutes over the course of a week.
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Thanks to audios, I've shed some of the guilt--partly because I listen alone in my car, and partly because there are no glossy covers to expose me--and shared some surprisingly fun commutes with familar voices. But I'm still pretty picky about whose stories I want to hear, and this is a genre where I give extra weight to reviews and recommendations. I'm not sure I would have chosen Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends if I hadn't read a lot of good things about it first, and that definitely would have been my loss.Rob Lowe first decided he wanted to be an actor as a kid in Dayton, Ohio, and when he moved to Malibu, California with his mother and brothers after her second marriage broke up, he discovered a very different environment from the community theaters where he’d started out. Malibu was already famous for its surf scene and beach culture, but the town was a more economically diverse place in the 1970s than it is now, and while some of his public-school classmates had rich and famous parents, many residents, including his own family, had no connection to or real understanding of “the business.” He had to learn a lot on his own and on the job, but he was driven to do it (sometimes literally, at least before he turned 16), starting in commercials, landing a short-lived sitcom at age 14, and scoring some steady work in ABC’s Afterschool Specials series of TV movies. His first big film role came as part of the large cast of up-and-comers in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of the frequently-banned YA novel The Outsiders in 1982, and by the mid-80s, he’d reached Next Big Thing status as part of another iconic ensemble cast in St. Elmo’s Fire. Anyone who’s that successful, that young, and that lacking in wise guidance is likely to make some unwise life choices, and Lowe’s pretty honest about the ones he made throughout his twenties--although they did give him some terrific stories to tell. The fact that he sobered up, grew up, and settled down is why he’s around to tell them now.
As he moved beyond his teen-idol, pretty-boy years (although he has by no means lost his looks), Lowe worked regularly, but his public profile rose and fell as he spent most of the 1990s moving between movies and theater, and developing an unexpected flair for comedy. And just as his young family was making him less interested in traveling for work, he got a chance at a role that required nothing more than daily freeway commutes...and the occasion location shoot in Washington DC. For me, Lowe’s portrayal of speechwriter Sam Seaborn is one of the reasons that the first three seasons of The West Wing are some of the best hours of drama ever on television. These days, he combines off-camera projects with television work, always looking for good stories.
I can’t really imagine experiencing Stories I Only Tell My Friends in any format but audio, and it couldn’t be narrated by anyone other than the author. These are Rob Lowe’s stories, and they’re revealing, personal, intimate (although rarely gossipy), surprisingly relatable, and almost never dull. He presents himself with a wry, self-deprecating sense of humor and genuine emotion, and I found him and his stories thoroughly charming. In all honesty, I’ve liked him for years, but I really enjoyed listening to him tell me the stories he’d previously saved for his friends during my own commutes over the course of a week.
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LibraryThing member Kaetrin
3.5 starsEnjoyable listening from the sexy-voiced Rob Lowe. I would have liked a lot more detail about The West Wing, but, otherwise, a fascinating glimpse into Hollywood and the 80's movies I grew up with.
LibraryThing member Cather00
I recommend you listen to the audiobook read by Rob Lowe. He does some fantastic voice impressions. The stories are entertaining and as someone who grew up watching him grow up I learned a lot about the man whose face used to grace my walls in the 80s. It's nice to see a former child star who
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suffered some major setbacks turn out to be such a nice, normal human being. Show Less
LibraryThing member LARA335
An intelligent and thoughtful looking back on his past and recounting of what has made him the person he is. Acknowledges his younger excesses whilst drawing a discrete veil over them. Made me want to watch West Wing which had somehow passed me by.
LibraryThing member jo-jo
This is the first memoir I listened to as an audiobook, and let me tell you, I don't think I could have picked a better one. I've always enjoyed watching Rob Lowe play the bad guy in movies and it was interesting to hear why he selected these kinds of roles, among many others. I probably should
Listening to a memoir read by the author was an amazing experience. He talks about both the good and bad moments of his life, accepting responsibility for all of it. He even shares a bit, without going into great detail, of the videotape scandal that temporarily stalled his career in the late 80's. He shares with us his passion for acting and the ongoing struggle to get a part since he was a young boy. He got to a point in his career where he didn't necessarily want the "biggest" role, but the role that would challenge him, like the mute he played in the television series "The Stand".
This was such a fun book to listen to and Lowe made me smile, if not laugh almost every day I listened to it. The second half of the book was more serious as he talks about how his life changed with his quest for sobriety, so if I wasn't laughing during this part of the book, I was impressed with the changes he made in his life.
One part of this book that I really enjoyed was when Lowe talked about growing up in Malibu. Wanting to be an actor, he wasn't exactly a part of the "in" crowd. He had the good luck to cross paths with a couple of brothers whose father was a major film actor. Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez turned out to be good friends to Lowe, and Estevez wanted to be an actor just as badly as Lowe so these two especially bonded. Many celebrity names were mentioned throughout the book and they always represented a fond memory.
Lowe is one of my favorite actors, even when he is portraying the bad, evil man. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to watch The West Wing yet, but now I think I should start that series. His role on Brothers and Sisters is definitely one of my favorites, and I think he made my heart melt on a couple of those episodes. This is yet another audiobook that sent chills up and down my spine, as Lowe shares with us his personal experience with 9/11. I would have never guessed what happened to him.
I think you can tell how much I enjoyed this audiobook, but maybe if you are not a fan of Rob Lowe you wouldn't enjoy it quite as much. I definitely would suggest this memoir for someone striving for an acting career. With themes of youth, stardom, addictions, love, and life changes this book has something to offer for almost everyone. So whether you are a fan of Lowe or not, I highly recommend this memoir, especially the audioversion.
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also admit that I may have even had a Rob Lowe pull-out poster from Tiger Beat magazine on my bedroom wall years ago!Listening to a memoir read by the author was an amazing experience. He talks about both the good and bad moments of his life, accepting responsibility for all of it. He even shares a bit, without going into great detail, of the videotape scandal that temporarily stalled his career in the late 80's. He shares with us his passion for acting and the ongoing struggle to get a part since he was a young boy. He got to a point in his career where he didn't necessarily want the "biggest" role, but the role that would challenge him, like the mute he played in the television series "The Stand".
This was such a fun book to listen to and Lowe made me smile, if not laugh almost every day I listened to it. The second half of the book was more serious as he talks about how his life changed with his quest for sobriety, so if I wasn't laughing during this part of the book, I was impressed with the changes he made in his life.
One part of this book that I really enjoyed was when Lowe talked about growing up in Malibu. Wanting to be an actor, he wasn't exactly a part of the "in" crowd. He had the good luck to cross paths with a couple of brothers whose father was a major film actor. Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez turned out to be good friends to Lowe, and Estevez wanted to be an actor just as badly as Lowe so these two especially bonded. Many celebrity names were mentioned throughout the book and they always represented a fond memory.
Lowe is one of my favorite actors, even when he is portraying the bad, evil man. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to watch The West Wing yet, but now I think I should start that series. His role on Brothers and Sisters is definitely one of my favorites, and I think he made my heart melt on a couple of those episodes. This is yet another audiobook that sent chills up and down my spine, as Lowe shares with us his personal experience with 9/11. I would have never guessed what happened to him.
I think you can tell how much I enjoyed this audiobook, but maybe if you are not a fan of Rob Lowe you wouldn't enjoy it quite as much. I definitely would suggest this memoir for someone striving for an acting career. With themes of youth, stardom, addictions, love, and life changes this book has something to offer for almost everyone. So whether you are a fan of Lowe or not, I highly recommend this memoir, especially the audioversion.
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LibraryThing member Monkeypats
Rob Lowe's autobiography was pretty amazing. The man has lived a charmed life from dating Cary Grant's daughter, to seeing the Star Wars characters fighting with broomsticks on set before anyone knew what Star Wars was, to dating Princess Stephanie and clubbing all over Paris, to being on the plane
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when the 9/11 terrorists did a dry run the week before. He's basically lived a life charmed by happenstance. I found it a fascinating read, but I will say it's basically a book of name-dropping, literally stories of his odd experiences, so if you don't like Hollywood or reading People magazine, I'm not sure this is the book for you. If you do however enjoy a celebrity, I highly recommend it! Show Less
LibraryThing member melissarochelle
Listened to from February 14 to 23, 2012
The Beginning I Thought This: I listened to the first few chapters this morning and I already love it. I teared up listening about his meetings with JFK, JR and laughed about "I want to French you". Good stuff, Rob Lowe. Good stuff. Can't wait for my drive
By The End I Thought This: Rob Lowe tells good stories (even though he keeps them all at a PG rating). While there were a few of his more sordid tales that he kind of glossed over, I was still quite entertained by his "debauched" lifestyle in the the 1980s. I mean, he apparently has sex tapes that were quite scandalous, but he goes in such little detail that I had to turn to Wikipedia to figure out what he was talking about.
Since I am really only familiar with Lowe because of Brothers & Sisters (I know, it's crazy that I've never seen St. Elmo's Fire), I now feel the need to watch some 80s movies and several episodes of The West Wing (again, I KNOW! How have I NEVER seen a single episode of TWW?).
The Beginning I Thought This: I listened to the first few chapters this morning and I already love it. I teared up listening about his meetings with JFK, JR and laughed about "I want to French you". Good stuff, Rob Lowe. Good stuff. Can't wait for my drive
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home this afternoon!By The End I Thought This: Rob Lowe tells good stories (even though he keeps them all at a PG rating). While there were a few of his more sordid tales that he kind of glossed over, I was still quite entertained by his "debauched" lifestyle in the the 1980s. I mean, he apparently has sex tapes that were quite scandalous, but he goes in such little detail that I had to turn to Wikipedia to figure out what he was talking about.
Since I am really only familiar with Lowe because of Brothers & Sisters (I know, it's crazy that I've never seen St. Elmo's Fire), I now feel the need to watch some 80s movies and several episodes of The West Wing (again, I KNOW! How have I NEVER seen a single episode of TWW?).
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LibraryThing member JenneB
Okay, I really have no interest in Rob Lowe--I think by the time I was aware of popular culture his moment had passed. He's good-looking in that sort of Ken-doll way, but not really the kind of guy who rings my bell.
But this is everything I want in a celeb bio--just the right balance of classy and
If this is the sort of thing you think you'd like, it's pretty good for that sort of thing.
But this is everything I want in a celeb bio--just the right balance of classy and
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dishy. He names names and tells tales, but isn't nasty or too impressed with himself. (Okay, he's a little impressed with himself.)If this is the sort of thing you think you'd like, it's pretty good for that sort of thing.
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LibraryThing member alwaysbooktime
I listened to the audiobook with Rob Lowe narrating. He has a interesting story to tell and does a good job writing it. The narration was very good and his imitations of some actors he encounters are spot on. The Christopher Walken was superb and Matt Dillion. It really made the story so fun. I'd
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recommend listening to the book to get the full story. If not reading it would be just as fine. Show Less
LibraryThing member anneearney
I really enjoyed the audio version of Rob Lowe's autobiography. He reads it himself, so it's like listening to him discuss his life. He's self-effacing, not overly sentimental, and never judgmental or mean. As far as I can tell, he shares the facts of his life, good and bad, mixes in a little
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humor, and moves on the next thing. He's had contact with many interesting people and for those of us who grew up in the '70s and '80s, the names he mentions are quite familiar. All in all, it was a fascinating listen. I'm glad he wrote it and sorry it had to end. Show Less
LibraryThing member alwaysbooktime
I listened to the audiobook with Rob Lowe narrating. He has a interesting story to tell and does a good job writing it. The narration was very good and his imitations of some actors he encounters are spot on. The Christopher Walken was superb and Matt Dillion. It really made the story so fun. I'd
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recommend listening to the book to get the full story. If not reading it would be just as fine. Show Less
LibraryThing member periwinklejane
This review is for the audiobook. It is incredibly entertaining. Lowe does impressions of his celebrity friends that will make you crack up. As far as celebrity autobiographies go, this one is worth it - at least to listen to. I'm not putting it up against Perrotta or Kingsolver or Hornby, but for
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perspective on those 80's movies I loved, yeah, this is fun. The only downside was this annoying Paul Harvey habit Lowe has of introducing a character and talking about them for a while before revealing which BIG CELEBRITY they are. But really, that's kinda fun too, because you can try to guess who it is. Show Less
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2012)
Language
Original publication date
2011
ISBN
080509329X / 9780805093292