Stories I Only Tell My Friends

An Autobiography

By: Rob Lowe

Narrated by: Rob Lowe

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

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

A teen idol at 15, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at 20, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences as a painfully misunderstood child actor in Ohio who was uprooted to the wild counterculture of mid-'70s 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 '80s, leading to his quest for family and sobriety.

Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last 25 years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.

©2011 Robert Lowe (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"[Lowe] writes viscerally and insightfully...He looks back at the aberrant highs of his heart-throb days, the changing nature of stardom in Hollywood, the trade-off he has made between high life and home life, and the step-by-step effort behind his show business survival. He looked like the callowest kid in the "Outsiders" crew. Now he looks like the sturdiest of them all" (The New York Times)

"A fresh pop-culture history of Hollywood in the ’70s and ’80s from the point of view of the man who lived it…[Lowe] is as funny as he is thoughtful. This is the best type of celeb memoir, because its author is as interested in the world as the world is interested in him." (People Magazine)

"A lovely autobiography, equal parts dish and pathos.” (Vanity Fair)

Incredible stories told with such passion and heart

Every GenX-er should listen to this! Fabulous stories and insight into Rob. Was great to hear it read by him. Enjoyed it very much!

Heartfelt, Authentic and Intriguing

This sounds like a heartfelt, authentic account of his life, and intriguing in a way that kept me pausing my audio to look up the movies and other actors he referenced. I was happy to see that he successfully went through treatment. Rob Lowe is a determined, hardworking person and deserves both his personal and professional success. This autobiography helps us understand the hard work that is put into auditions and filming, and the temptations and pressures of being famous. I recommend this book!

Excellent book by Rob Lowe!

Many stories of life told by Rob Lowe! Well told and very interesting and I absolutely loved it!

Five Stars

Rob Lowe can tell a story. This was truly a wonderful insight into his personal life. A real joy to read. Thank you
Rob Lowe.

still a heart-throb

loved this! RL is so entertaining. Loved hearing about his coming of age. great for those who grew up in the 80s!

Amazing Story Teller

I'm 32 yrs old so I kind of missed the whole "Brat Pack" craziness at its peak but I've been a fan of many movies these labeled actors have starred in, but Rob Lowe wasn't one of those actors I really followed. I am actually a bigger fan of his brother Chad (who in my teens was a star on the TV show Life Goes On and a accomplished director now) but after seeing Rob on Oprah I was curious about his book.

Intriguing, captivating, fascinating are some of the words I use to describe his story telling. You really feel like your at a dinner party with him as he's telling amazing story after story. He narrates the book himself and I had no idea he is so good at impersonations (his Matt Dillion, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, & Christopher Walken are dead on). He dishes a bit about the celebs he worked with and hung out with. He is honest about his perceptions of these people without ever being disrespectful. You do learn a TINY bit about Charlie Sheen and get a glimpse that the guy we know about today has always been there. In addition to the hollywood stories are some really good lessons to be learned about celebriety & notoriety as well as coming to peace with who you are and not who others perceive you as.

I am now a Rob Lowe fan!

Rob you have earned a new fan!

I watched him on some talk show and was intrigued. I then saw clips of his interview with Oprah and just thought he was too "good" and "smiley" to be true. I had a few credits on my account so I thought, "What the heck?". I am glad that I did.

His book is full of interesting stories and side notes. He reads it so well and kept me and my husband interested the whole time. During the final chapters, I kept looking at my Iphone to see how much was left. I didn't want it to end. Having just finished the book, it feels as if I had family come visit for a week and they have just driven out of the drive way. I smile because they were here but saddened that they are gone.

Good book....definitely worth the listen.

Interesting story, not a puff piece

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and insight into a celebrity who seems to have figured things out about life. Nice that he reads it himself. Love his discriptions of celebrities he's met, how & where.

DON'T JUDGE THE FACE ON THE COVER.

This book is/was SO far from my reading tastes , So why did I invest my second last credit on something so utterly outside my reading zone? I just couldn't get into my usual subject matter ( history, science, political biography and classics) Despite having 50 great books on my iPod I couldn't stick with any of them. I desperately needed something really different.
I remembered this book when it was so hot and all the amazing reviews, its glory seemed like it would never end- but actors and hollywood where/are not my bag so when I realized I needed a big change, this came to mind. Amazingly once I started I listened to the whole thing in 2 days.
What a breath of fresh air this was! I loved it! It was funny, touching, smart, insightful, honest and very well written. In short, a Totally enjoyable experience that lived up to all the hype. A week later it's still on my mind. I almost feel like Ive been on a great vacation, well actually I have, its just been a vacation for the mind. It was exactly what I needed. As far as the narration goes it was perfect. So if your now debating on whether to get this. I say DO IT, even if ( like me) you started off not even really knowing who the hell he is. Now I would really like to meet him- who would have thunk it?

Rob Lowe can write and write well... what a story!

What an unexpected pleasure this book was! I found myself sitting in my driveway with my iPod plugged into my car with no headphones and not wanting to stop the playback! Rob Lowe can write, and write well! What a great storyteller!
Mr Lowe has had a very interesting life. Full of ups and downs and hard work and lots of struggle and just plain fun. Nothing, not one thing has ever been handed to him and that has instilled in him a drive that has gotten him where he is today.
It's seems to me from this memoir that Mr Lowe has his mother to thank for so much. She was a tragic soul, who i firmly believe was literally being poisoned for many years. He mentioned more than once how his mother felt it was important that he find his own way and figure things out for himself. She was the antithesis of the current day "stage mother". Rob Lowe rode a bus for 2 1/2 hours a day to get to the studio! Can you imagine that happening today? My Lord, someone would call Child Protection!! Yet the result is clearly a man with an arsenal of personal strengths and enormous character that has gotten him very far! When push comes to shove Rob Lowe has what it takes to pick himself up and do the right thing and stay on track. When partying was his priority he did it hard and he did it well. When responsibility and love became his priority he did it hard and did it well.
Kudos Mr Lowe! YOU are the Hollywood actor I would like to see as the role model, You are the person our children should be emulating!