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)

Great Book and Great Story

Rob Lowe can add "superb storyteller" to his resume with this book. He keeps your attention, in many instances, he leaves you astonished at the twists and turns of his life. You may find yourself asking, "how was he there in that place?" For someone under the age of 50, he has been close to events and people who have made a significant and lasting impact on our times and culture essentially by being a good-looking actor who has taken on astonishing roles that were not "lost" on him. He gives a great accounting of his life at many vantage points from his 5-year-old childhood impressions to his "brat pack" celebrity and into the clarity of adulthood. This is a very interesting and absorbing read from a most unexpected source.

Believe the hype

Would you listen to Stories I Only Tell My Friends again? Why?

It's unlikely I would listen again, but not because there is anything wrong with this book or this narration. Lowe's memoir is phenomenal and his narration is near-perfect. There are just so many other books out there I haven't yet listened to, I don't see myself doing a re-listen.

What does Rob Lowe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice adds a lot. To hear him tell his stories in his tone, at his pace, with his inflections, makes the entire thing much more relatable. After listening, I felt like we were buddies.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I had the time, I would have tried. It went very quickly, and I was sad when it was over.

Any additional comments?

I now want to watch The West Wing start-to-finish on DVD because of Rob Lowe.

Who would think? The best audiobook of 2011

I wasn't expecting this, but this was my best listen is a long, long time. Rob Lowe has great stories, shows great heart and his narration is as good as it gets. Highly, highly recommended.

A self indulgent mess

Any additional comments?

Brag, brag and more brag. Terrible, self centered listening torture with clear evidence of limited awareness that a good story is more than name dropping. It must be difficult to view oneself as the center of the world. It certainly was difficult to hear about it. My suggestion is to give this book a pass. Wish I had returned this mega dud.

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!

"Zeitgeist"--Not Just a Smashing Pumpkins Album

Polite, mildly entertaining, smartly written story of not only a "pretty" boy, but an intelligent and matured survivor--surprisingly free of self-importance and handled with class. I remember that video scandal--much more of a career derailer than touched on in this book--and admire the fact that Lowe realized, that in spite of the hubris-fueled "zeitgeist" of today, no one needed another lurid star tell-all....spewing raunchy details of sexual encounters, fun-with-drugs, or degrading name dropping and outting of colleagues. It is clear that Lowe doesn't relish those "good old days", but rather has gained enough wisdom to appreciate that he survived them, and that he values his life, opportunities, friends, and family.
Lowe shows real talent as a writer and does a nice job of narrating his work. He admittedly walked a hair-line tightrope between destruction and peace; it's not always about the journey--sometimes it is the destination, and he seems to finally be in a very very good place.

Nicely done, Mr. Lowe.

First, I was never a "fan" of Rob Lowe. Sure, I've seen his work but have never really thought much about it. I purchased the audiobook because it often popped up on lists of books that others have liked and I thought I would give it a try for a long car ride my wife and I were taking together. I was pleasantly surprised.

Rob Lowe is an excellent narrator of his own words. As one would expect. He's an actor after all. But some actors don't necessarily have a voice one would want to listen to. Mr. Lowe does. I usually listen to non-fiction books at double speed in order to pack in the information into a shorter period of time, but I listened to Mr. Lowe's story at regular speed because his voice is pleasant and his stories felt more performed than conveyed.

The author is an amazing mimic and he parrots the voices of famous and not-so-famous people throughout the book. His stories are compelling and interesting and well worth a listen. It's also refreshing to read a story about a person ??? star or not ??? who has hit rock bottom and has gotten their butt kicked by life, only to get help and later find happiness and success. It's a great story. Nicely done, Mr. Lowe. Now I am a fan.

Funny, insightful, & breautifully written!

I hate to admit it, but I was very surprised to find the writing by Mr. Lowe to be so deep. The account of his interesting life would be an entertaining read. However, his thoughtful, near-philosophical written analysis of his path to maturity is beautiful. Several times, I thought, "The writer of this book could easily have been a very successful writer!" His choice of words is almost poetic at times. Who knew Mr. Lowe had these hidden talents! Listening to the audio adds depth...his own emphasis and emotion about his own life! GREAT READ!

Who knew?

I’ve always enjoyed his acting, but what a pleasant surprise to learn that he is not just a talented actor, but also a man with a remarkable depth of passion for his art, his family and his friends. His narration is top notch.

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.