I just finished listening to Rob Lowe read his book to me and I loved it! He is such a down to earth guy amidst an extremely NOT down to earth life. I am a HUGE West Wing fan and I had goosebumps as he talked about that piece of his career. There were laugh out loud moments, scary moments and moments I had tears in my eyes; a perfect mix that kept me interested the entire way through. I highly recommend listening to it!!!! ( )

Surprisingly well written and fascinating. This dude has a story about every celebrity on the planet. ( )

I wasn't a teenager at the right time to be smitten by Rob Lowe in his "brat pack" days. I came to admire him as Sam Seaborn in The West Wing, and loved his all-too-brief run in the British TV series "Wild Bill". Beyond those two shows, my only exposure to him was through his commercials for Atkins diet products. I picked this up at a Little Free Library recently without any previous intention of reading it, and it was a serendipitous find at a time when I needed something "nice" and unchallenging. This easy-reading autobiography (which only takes him to 2011) confirmed my impression that he is a talented actor, a funny guy with a heart, and a decent human being. He doesn't dish dirt, and pointedly leaves out names of "the innocent" in some of his tales. If you like him, you'll like his book. ( )

Fresh and entertaining. Honest insight. Enjoyable. Fast read. Loved it. ( )

I started this book yesterday afternoon. Less than 24 hours later I am finished. I couldn't put it down. I'll confess I've had a crush on Rob Lowe since the After School Specials but I wasn't sure that translated into a good read. He's a great storyteller and he has some great stories to tell. I hope this isn't his last book and would love to see what he could do with fiction. And now I really want to go re-watch St. Elmo's and Outsiders. Yay Rob Lowe! ( )

I liked this way more than I thought I would! Very entertaining and he does some great voices. He has some of the most random ways of meeting other celebrities. ( )

This memoir is thoughtful, compelling and illuminating. Lowe accepts extends ample grace to people who treated him poorly and accepts responsibility for his own actions. @RobLowe
is the epitome of "more than just a pretty face."

80s Memoirs
Audible
Driving for FFE
October 2021 ( )

Very engaging and easy to read autobiography. Rob portrays himself as naive and geeky in the early days. His good looks got him beat up in junior high, but helped him get acting jobs and girls later. He drops a lot of names and tells some great stories about movies, television, acting, and his many Hollywood friends. The seamier details of his addictions and breakups and controversies get politely swept under the rug (Mid-westerners don't talk about such things in public, I guess). It's nice to know he's now older, wiser, and happily married. ( )

Now, here's an autobiography I shouted. Rob shows depth of character as he relates stories about his life. You can tell he loves his wife and his sons very much. He is not shallow, and is someone I think I'd quite enjoy sitting and talking with. ( )

My wife and I started listening to this audiobook a couple months back during a road trip to see our daughter's college graduation. While it was amusing enough to keep us occupied in the car, it was hard to build up much enthusiasm to sit and listen to the end once we got home, but we finally made some time at my urging in order to get this off my currently reading list.

I have mixed feelings about Rob Lowe, because he just oozes handsome jackass in his every move and word -- and this book really cements that initial impression. And yet I have seen a hell of a lot of his film and television work, including his current stint on 9-1-1: Lone Star and his hilarious turn as Chris Traeger on Parks and Recreation. (Alas, neither of those shows get much attention here as the anecdotes in this 2011 book wrap up with the end of his tenure on The West Wing.)

My wife is a huge fan of The Outsiders and really appreciated the extensive behind-the-scenes information Lowe shares about making the film. I found them interesting also, along with all the other stories he shares about his career and personal life.

I'll never like Rob Lowe as a person, I suppose, but I do admire his persistence through all the crap life has thrown at him as well as all the crap of his own making. ( )

I read this in one sitting. Rob Lowe covers a lot of ground in this memoir and he does it with wit and class and no snark. I've come to respect him as a good actor from his work in The West Wing and Brothers and Sisters. Now after reading this I've come to respect him as a person that I would actually like to know. ( )

I have to confess that this book definitely exceeded my expectations. While it may not be a literary masterwork, I was complete engaged by Lowe's storytelling style. He was a major force in entertainment during my coming of age, so it was terrific to hear how this famous "Brat-packer" got into the business and managed to forge a long lasting and successful career. Along the way he met many, many famous people, and he doesn't shy away from naming them, but also admits to some of the challenges and foibles he faces. Fun, fast-paced and enjoyable for fans . . .and truly autobiographical as he covers most of his life. I don't even like movies, but felt tempted to dig out a few of his classics . . . ( )

I have always loved Rob Lowe -- how could you not?? I enjoyed listening to him read and recount his story of his rise to stardom. It was interesting to hear all of the people who were also up and coming when he was trying for roles. He was friends with Martin Sheen's children, the Penn brothers, and so many other actors. He addressed his family and his alcoholism and his Brat Pack moniker. I enjoyed hearing about his wife and how he almost destroyed that relationship until he got clean and sober in order to win her over. His love for his children was also evident. I also enjoyed how he took each job in his career as a learning opportunity. This book was written in 2011, so he has more to offer, but I really enjoyed hearing the stories of his life up until then. ( )

This entire book is a great look into one of the beautiful ones—a man who faced his own demons and is now better for the battle. However, the book is worth reading simply for the backstory of the audition and filming processes of The Outsiders. Sodapop… ( )

It was a funny and interesting read. Rob has a lot more layers to him they I would have imagined. I read it in a day so if you are looking for a quick amusing read, look no further. ( )

I don't often read/listen to celebrity memoirs, though i always mean to LOL.

Finally heard about this one a few times, and found it on Hoopla. I went to high school in the 80s, I know Rob Lowe from his early work (I have never seen The West Wing). I also know he and his wife hosted a big meal for firefighters after one of the big fires in Santa Barbara, so they are decent. Also, he read this himself.

And it was fine. I don't know how it read on the the page, but on audio the writing was great. Parts were very interesting. A bit too much name dropping for my taste, I don't watch tons of TV or movies, so really did not know who many of these people were, especially post-c1995. Maybe this is why I never get around to celebrity memoirs? ( )

I knew next to nothing about Rob Lowe, other than he was an actor and had a scandalous history. I downloaded this audiobook b/c it was free and I usually love autobiographies. This book was a good listen and I learned a lot about his life by listening. He seems like a decent guy who has learned a lot. ( )

I've wanted to read this book for quite a while now, especially after the sneak preview. It did not disappoint. Filled with so many memorable moments throughout his life punctuated with interactions with other stars and how they met on their roads to stardom, I returned to this book every chance I could. Worthwhile and very enjoyable, it was captivating learning how Rob grew into the man he became and the demons he had to conquer to get there. ( )

Check out my review...http://shannonsbookbag.blogspot.com/2011/09/stories-i-only-tell-my-friends-lowe.html ( )

LOVED THIS. Rob Lowe writes in an easy-going, engaging fashion, and the way he tells stories about his early brushes with fame (Muppets, Sheen family, Star Wars, to name a few) is unassuming and doesn't come across as name-dropping. What an extraordinary life. Quick, easy, absolutely fun read. ( )

2021 pandemic read. He's an actor, sure, but he's a story teller, too. ( )

Rob Lowe has had some truly wild stories for a kid from Ohio. Before becoming famous his paths crossed with so many celebrities its mind boggling. The audio is read by Lowe himself and it’s a fast and interesting read for anyone familiar with Hollywood. His story about an unexpected meeting with Bill Murray made me laugh out loud. His struggle with sobriety and efforts to come to terms with his fame are familiar celebrity themes. ( )

Easy, entertaining listen. Interesting back story of a young Hollywood hotshot and his path to true stardom. ( )

File under: "Not Just a Pretty Face." Rob Lowe is actually a pretty good writer, and his autobiography was quite an engaging and entertaining read for this former 1980s teenager. There are a few too many carefully plotted, breathless reveals of famous names here, but there's a lot of heart and insight too. Well done. ( )

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It read like an engaging tv show. Dinner was late the last few nights because it sucked me in. I normally don't read novels by celebrities, especially autobiographies, so it was very different than anything I would have selected. I was sent this book as a First Read version from the publisher and won it from a Goodreads giveaway. I was pleasantly surprised. ( )