Sometimes you don’t want to like a book. Maybe because you don’t like the cover or you think the author is a hack. In this case, I didn’t want to acknowledge that Rob Lowe could actually be a writer. Too many Hollywood celebrities are writing books today. Some of them really believe they have a story to tell, while some of them are just trying to cash in in their 15 minutes of fame. However, I was wrong about Rob Lowe. His book “Stories I Only Tell My Friends” is his memoir about his early life, his career and the unbelievable occurrences of his life. What I knew about Lowe was limited to tabloid gossip and IMDB listings. I had no idea he was a successful producer and writer. I started the book on a flight and had finished the entire book before I landed in Phoenix. Each chapter was a different story. I enjoyed reading the behind the scenes stories about the The Outsiders and St. Elmo’s Fire. But the stories I enjoyed most were the ones about his childhood and the ones which made me realize how small the world really is. He writes about being in Europe visiting with a friend who had worked in the White House, but was working a somewhat mysterious job at the time. The friend rushed him to the airport to catch a flight back to the states and was killed shortly after. Although he’s led an interesting life, Lowe faced a number of obstacles over the years. I am not sure many would have overcome those obstacles, let alone emerge stronger and more insightful. I would definitely recommend the book to others.