The Backstreet Boys kicked off their sold-out world tour last Friday, but fans without tickets can still get a hot backstage peek thanks to a new tell-all book by Samantha Stonebraker, an ex-girlfriend of Brian "B-Rok"' Littrell. "What You Wanna Know: Backstreet Boys' Secrets Only a Girlfriend Can Tell" (St. Martin's) hits shelves Nov. 3. Here are some of the book's juicier revelations.

Why you should think twice about shaking their hands
The Backstreet Boys aren't afraid to get dirty, and we do mean dirty, for a practical joke. "One night, Brian and Nick got together and, after a little convincing by Brian, Nick pooped into a sock!" writes Stonebraker. "Then they placed the sock inside the drummer's bass drum. That night during the show, every time their drummer, Tim, hit the base, a terrible smell came out." Quit playing games with my... oh, never mind.

Why Nick never goes topless
While bandmates Kevin Richardson and AJ McClean love prancing around shirtless, the same can't be said of youngest bandmate Nick Carter. The reason: "I think it's because he would rather impress people with his music than his body," says Stonebraker. She adds that Carter's really a bit "shy about his body." Awww.

Wine, women, and song
Though Stonebraker is quick to point out that "I don't think any of the Backstreet Boys would ever advise taking drugs or drinking alcohol," that doesn't mean they haven't swigged a brew or two... or 20. "Occasionally one of them will have too much to drink," she admits. "I do remember one time Brian had too much to drink.... I told him to lay on his bed with one foot on the ground to keep the room from spinning. Brian swore never to drink again." Haven't we all?

Brian is a mama's boy
Stonebraker got a clear picture of Littrell's attachment to his mother while dining out with his family. "When we received our entrees, I was shocked to see Brian pass his plate over to his mother," she says. "She began cutting up Brian's steak! I almost lost it." Littrell, however, didn't blink an eye. On the bright side, he's definitely in touch with his feminine side. Stonebraker recalls that her then boyfriend "enjoyed braiding my sister Mari's hair while he sang 'The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.'"

Food fetishist
The care and feeding of a Backstreet Boy isn't easy. "Brian loves food, and likes it to be prepared 'Brian style,'" says Stonebraker. That means his Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (the small kind, never the jumbo ones) must have icing applied only to the center because "this allows the icing to melt over the sides of the bun. This is serious business, and Brian is strict about this procedure." Additionally, his macaroni and cheese "must be topped with Ritz crackers," and he enjoys drinking the leftover milk from the bottom of his cereal bowl. And oh, yeah, he likes PEZ and McDonald's.

On the road again... and again... and again
During Stonebraker's relationship with Littrell, the band was subject to a grueling schedule, which was hardest on the teenage Carter. "Sometimes he would cry because he missed his family and needed some free time," says Stonebraker. Carter was forced to perform one concert even though he was so ill he was vomiting backstage. On another occasion Littrell, pushed to his limits, broke out in stress-related fever blisters, and McClean had to have his stomach pumped as a result of stress and drinking too much orange juice. Stonebraker even attributes her breakup with Littrell to an incident during which management refused to allow her to be taken to the hospital for a gallbladder attack for fear that fans would discover one of the Backstreet Boys had a girlfriend. The band has since changed management.

Size isn't everything
Littrell, who is reportedly 5'8", is "really sensitive about his height and weight," says Stonebraker. "He told me about being the smallest baseball player on his team, and ordering extra small pants." Her advice to prospective girlfriends? "Remind him that good things sometimes do come in a small package." Hey, isn't that a line from "Sex and the City"?