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jennifer_anne3's review against another edition
3.0
Rob Lowe seemed a lot more like Chris Trager (PARKS & REC) than I ever would have guessed. It was interesting how, except for his wife and mother, most of the people that he talks about are his male friends. I don't think it means anything, other than it reinforces the fact that most of the women who crossed his path, and landed in his bed, were kind of just distractions from his problems. This is a fun biography, nothing ground-breaking, but a quick and entertaining story. And now I have to go watch THE OUTSIDERS again.
tehmegan's review against another edition
3.0
I struggled with the first half of this book because I didn't realize it was essentially his autobiography. There was a lot of name dropping, but at least he built up the suspense when revealing certain big names. I felt like after the expose on The Outsiders, most of his work done after rehab was only touched on lightly, which was disappointing to me. I wanted more about The West Wing (because Sam Seaborne was why I fell in love with the show to begin with) and more about Brothers and Sisters and more than a mention of Parks and Rec. Rob Lowe is an amazing actor, I just wanted more from his book.
murf89's review against another edition
2.0
I probably would have liked it better if I had seen The Outsiders, St. Elmo's Fire or even West Wing. Otherwise, it seemed pretty superficial. :-)
bennygil's review against another edition
4.0
Okay perhaps it isn't the finest literature but a perfect read-in-a-day book. I needed something light and easy while on vacation and this was perfect. If you grew up in the era it is a fun book.
michaelparm's review against another edition
4.0
I am a fan of Rob Lowe, so I was partial to his story anyway, but it was a quite interesting book. It was a neat look at his early life an how he became what he is today. It was also an enlightening look into the Hollywood process.
tracy_c's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book I read for a book club pick, and I didn't even know I liked Rob Lowe. I learned a lot about this actor as a real person, and I'm glad I read it. I always like West Wing, and The Outsiders, as well as several other things he has made throughout the years. I would definitely recommend it to my friends
jessgrant25's review against another edition
2.0
While he has some really interesting stories to tell, I finished the book feeling rather disgusted with Lowe. He glossed over so many controversies and really came across as so self centered. At the end I walked away thinking, wow...do you really see yourself like that...what a self aggrandizing jerk.
kats05's review against another edition
3.0
After failing to make it through a slim Paul Auster novel, I knew I needed a palate cleanser to get my reading groove back, ideally something light and low(e)-brow to get through in a jiffy. ;-)
Even though I'm in my (now late) thirties, I wasn't into teen culture in the early/mid 80s, so most of the references to cult films like "St Elmo's Fire" and "The Breakfast Club" are lost on me. When the name "Rob Lowe" is mentioned I think of Sam Seaborne in my all-time favourite TV series "The West Wing" rather than of Sodapop Curtis in "The Outsiders". I remember being quite disappointed when he left the WW during season 4, but other than that I've never been crazy about him (though I'll gladly admit that he's pure eye candy).
No idea why I picked up his memoirs, but it's been an enjoyable few days learning about the highs and lows of his life to date, the complicated relationship with his parents, his passion for his profession, but most of all his love and devotion to his wife and sons. He comes across as someone with great introspection, integrity, a desire to perform and achieve, a fun but also self-deprecating sense of humour, and boundless love for his family. A pleasant surprise.
Even though I'm in my (now late) thirties, I wasn't into teen culture in the early/mid 80s, so most of the references to cult films like "St Elmo's Fire" and "The Breakfast Club" are lost on me. When the name "Rob Lowe" is mentioned I think of Sam Seaborne in my all-time favourite TV series "The West Wing" rather than of Sodapop Curtis in "The Outsiders". I remember being quite disappointed when he left the WW during season 4, but other than that I've never been crazy about him (though I'll gladly admit that he's pure eye candy).
No idea why I picked up his memoirs, but it's been an enjoyable few days learning about the highs and lows of his life to date, the complicated relationship with his parents, his passion for his profession, but most of all his love and devotion to his wife and sons. He comes across as someone with great introspection, integrity, a desire to perform and achieve, a fun but also self-deprecating sense of humour, and boundless love for his family. A pleasant surprise.
nikkisumrow's review against another edition
5.0
I feel a little silly giving this an "amazing" rating (I mean, I gave Gatsy an "amazing" rating), but there really wasn't anything I didn't like about this book. I simply couldn't put it down, and knowing Rob Lowe wrote it himself in longhand form makes me like it even more. I'm not some huge Lowe fan. I like him, and I absolutely adore his movie About Last Night, but I haven't watched any of his TV shows and haven't seen most of his movies. However, he reeled me in with his storytelling. I was captivated and thought he had a warm, honest voice that felt like talking to a friend (a friend who is way, way, way more interesting than I am). If you enjoy Hollywood stories at all, I think you'll enjoy this.
To address the poor reviews I've come across, I completely disagree with those who say Lowe was pompous or a revisionist of his own history. Maybe he sugarcoated a few things--I honestly didn't get that impression and am not familiar enough with his history to know, but I found him to be very real and open. He talked about personal demons resulting from his parents' divorce; he shared very personal stories about his mother, he was up front about any unfaithfulness to his girlfriends, his struggles with alcoholism and even mistakes in his career. I give props to Lowe for sharing his personal stories, and people who complain he didn't give enough are examples of our current society's insane disrespect of a celebrity's privacy. I enjoyed the stories he chose to share, and I would now officially consider myself a Rob Lowe fan.
To address the poor reviews I've come across, I completely disagree with those who say Lowe was pompous or a revisionist of his own history. Maybe he sugarcoated a few things--I honestly didn't get that impression and am not familiar enough with his history to know, but I found him to be very real and open. He talked about personal demons resulting from his parents' divorce; he shared very personal stories about his mother, he was up front about any unfaithfulness to his girlfriends, his struggles with alcoholism and even mistakes in his career. I give props to Lowe for sharing his personal stories, and people who complain he didn't give enough are examples of our current society's insane disrespect of a celebrity's privacy. I enjoyed the stories he chose to share, and I would now officially consider myself a Rob Lowe fan.