{image1} High school guys usually get into conversations about girls at the other lunch tables or how the pizza should be made with more pepperoni and sausage. But, Dan Crowley's definitely got more on his plate to share.
Last time OnMilwaukee.com spoke with Crowley, he was a 17-year-old sophomore at Brookfield East and had written his first book, "505 Unbelievably Stupid Web Pages," published in September 2003. Publisher Sourcebooks, Inc. may have been surprised that a high school student had written the book, but took Crowley under its wing, anyway.
Little did Crowley know, the book would become a giant success in the first month by becoming the second best-seller online and the No. 1 new release, giving him more to talk about than the usual school cafeteria buzz.
Over 25,000 copies of "505 Unbelievably Stupid Web Pages" were sold.
And with one published book under his belt and knowledge of the publishing game, Crowley, now a senior at Brookfield East, is at it again with the release of "505 Weirdest Online Stores," a follow-up to his first book.
"I got the idea from Web surfing, and I've been throwing around ideas for sequels," Crowley says.
One example from the 350-page book is Jolene's Trailer Park site, where "white trash with class" T-shirts are available for purchase. The book offers a smorgasbord of Web sites with page after page of weirdness and humor that Crowley loves to share.
"I like to make people laugh, and this is entertaining," Crowley says. "It's fun to write about topics like these. There's lots of crazy stuff on the Internet, and I saw great potential for a book."
And because of the books, many of Crowley's fellow students are giving him more attention than "the new girl" at the school. His friends are no longer surprised by his book releases but realize his potential and encourage him all the way, Crowley says.
He doesn't plan on stopping the Internet-based entertainment books, either. Crowley says he's found his niche.
"The Internet is where the action is at," he says.
The action is also planning to come out in calendar form as Crowley will have a desk calendar available based on "505 Unbelievably Stupid Web Pages," providing snippets from the first book.
Look for "505 Weirdest Online Stores" due out in April and the already released "505 Unbelievably Stupid Web Pages" at Barnes & Noble, Borders and Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops. The books can also be purchased online at Amazon.com.
