Love Life by Rob Lowe – Book Review

Category: Books and Music

Love Life coverIn his second book, Rob Lowe combines stories and reflections about life, his family, and his career. Lowe takes readers through a journey of ups and downs, sadness and laughter, and very revealing and honest introspections. Love Life is an interesting look at his life as an actor/husband/father/producer/writer/recovering addict.

 

As readers discovered in his first autobiography, Rob Lowe is more than a “pretty face.” He was the “IT” boy of the 1980s, and led a wild life while forging his career. Now he is a devoted father, husband, and actor who is more interested in his family than in making headlines. Love Life is an interesting read, and a page-turner.

 

Lowe has an amazing insight about life and what is important. The book reveals his philosophical ideas and how he has changed as he has aged. He writes about his advice to his two sons. He tells them they need to think of life as a “vocation” and not to be afraid of making their own memories. Lowe intentionally went out of his way to make special memories for his family, including the time he dressed up as a Bigfoot while on a camping trip because he wanted his sons to experience something incredible.

 

As readers will discover, Rob Lowe is not entranced by the trappings of Hollywood and by all the perks that being a celebrity affords him. True, he does enjoy special treatment at sporting events and other events, but his down-to-earth attitude about life is what comes through page after page.

 

“The people I admire the most are those who have the courage, foresight and ability to see themselves with cold-eyed honesty and fundamentally change themselves.” (Page 158) This is a statement from Lowe that describes his attitude about life and people. He is not celebrity-driven. His feet are firmly on solid ground.

 

Mr. Lowe describes himself as a patriot and proudly writes about his family’s history with America. He also pens stories about his love of sports and his involvement with his sons’ school events and sports activities. He also honestly writes about his oldest son Matthew going away to college and the future exit of his youngest son Johnowen. He and his wife are soon-to-be empty nesters and, as he explains, he is looking forward to a new chapter in their lives.

 

By weaving stories about his experiences with his family together with his experiences of Hollywood, Rob Lowe has put together a mesmerizing collection of events in his life that give readers a look at the man, not the on-screen actor. He is honest, witty, and very insightful. There are fun stories from the TV and movie sets, stories from his family experiences, and many great reflections on them as well as life itself.

 

This is not a tell-all book about Hollywood. It is a tell-all book about Rob Lowe by Rob Lowe. His interests, ups and downs, expectations and disappointments are honestly exposed throughout the pages. His comments and memories about his many television shows, with their good and bad aspects, explain the ins and outs of working in the entertainment business. His writings about his wife and sons bring to readers the clear love of his family this man truly enjoys. The way he weaves all of these aspects of his life together creates a well-rounded look at his experiences, but mostly about his perceptions, insights, and philosophies. This is definitely a good read.

 

Hardcover: 272 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (April 8, 2014)

ISBN-10: 1451685718

ISBN-13: 978-1451685718

On a personal note: I have interviewed Mr. Lowe several times over the years. He has always been very kind and not at all off-putting, like many celebrities often are. I have always enjoyed his company and a long time ago I realized how intelligent and multi-dimensional he is. He is not just a “pretty face.”

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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