Stories I Only Tell My Friends : An Autobiography

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 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.

“Read by the author, who does killer imitations of every star he's met, this memoir is pure delight.” —People

“Lowe's narration is personal, warm and skilled…His brief vocal characterizations of well-known figures such as Bill Clinton, Cary Grant, and entertainment impresario Bernie Brillstein are remarkable. This audiobook is much like a good film: absorbing as well as entertaining.” —AudioFile Magazine, winner of AudioFile Earphones Award

“Lowe not only has great timing, but proves a skilled mimic of well-known figures ranging from the spacy-sounding Coppola to fast-talking superagent Bernie Brillstein. Which makes the book not only fascinating, but a joy to listen to.” —The Providence Journal

“It's one thing to read Rob Lowe's memoir, intriguing as it is. However, it is quite another to hear his life recounted in his own voice. Hearing his words in his engaging, expressive voice seems to actually bring the listener into his world, much as if one were sitting across the table from him…Many of us may remember him primarily for his iconic role on ‘The West Wing,' but after listening to history we're sure there's a great deal more to come.” —Beauty by the Books

“This book truly surprised me. I knew I'd enjoy it, but I wasn't counting on how much.” —5 Minutes for Books

“A lovely autobiography, equal parts dish and pathos.” —Vanity Fair

“[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

“I really enjoyed it...Thoroughly entertaining: the Brat Pack years, the Wayne's World years, the Alcoholic Obscurity, the Glamorous Romances (Princess Stephanie of Monaco!), the Inevitable Rehab, and the Triumphant Comeback on The West Wing.” —Time Magazine

“[Lowe's] charming, honest, even affectionate memoir is the story of strong guts behind a strikingly handsome face...A book to recommend widely.” —Booklist

“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

“The world would be a better place if more stars' memoirs were like Lowe's--chatty, dishy, and with celebrity walk-ons (Tom Cruise! Sarah Jessica Parker! Princess Stephanie of Monaco! Martin Sheen!) galore. As entertaining as a Brat Pack film festival.” —Parade