Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography by Rob Lowe

Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography by Rob Lowe

I had a HUGE crush on Rob Lowe when I was much younger. I loved him as Sodapop in The Outsiders and as Billy in St. Elmo's Fire. That crush continued and became more cerebral when he was Sam Seaborn on The West Wing. He is handsome and smart and a talented actor. What's not to have a celebrity crush on?

But now, after reading his autobiography, I have a whole new love and respect for him. He is also a very talented writer, politically aware and active, and a loving husband and father.

In Stories I Only Tell My Friends, he is very open about his short comings, the sex tape, cheating on Melissa Gilbert, alcoholism, and the bumpy start to the relationship with his now wife Sheryl. This isn't the case of a celebrity trying to make themselves out to be perfect and blaming all their screw-ups on others. He learned the hard way the price that comes with fame, how it can mess with your head and make you feel like you are more important that you are. He took the lessons learned and started his career over and makes better choices now. He is first and foremost a father and husband, the rest, the fame, is the icing on the cake and he talks about how lucky he is and you really get the feeling he means it.

Of course since he is a celebrity there is a some back story on life growing up with Emilio Estevez as his friend, his run-ins with celebrity legends such as Liza Minnelli, Cary Grant and Lucille Ball, his dating life, his drinking problem and his recovery, you know, the dish people read celebrity biographies for. But the take away here is about more than gossip, as a matter of fact the gossip feels peripheral to his life from boy to man and who he wants to be and the dreams he has for his own sons in light of the life he lead and still leads.    

I loved this book!!!

(finished March 9, 2013)