YouTubers, radio hosts, app creators and now authors, the British duo, Dan Howell and Phil Lester have come a long way from their first videos in 2006. Their debut book “The Amazing Book is Not on Fire: The World of Dan and Phil,” hit bookstores in early October and became an instant #1 New York Times Bestseller.
Joining the ranks of other YouTuber turned book authors, Dan and Phil spent ten months working on the book, starting in December 2014. The dedication and time they have put into the book in the time leading up to its release is very apparent once you open the book for the first time.
The 224 pages are authentically Dan and Phil. From the dedication down to the very last page, their unique voices and characters can be felt through the entire book. From how their YouTube careers started, to never before seen photos, to which of their dining room chairs represents you emotionally, this book will make you laugh out loud from beginning to end.
The book also includes things that will be very familiar to those who watch their videos online, such as the existential crisis hallway, how to draw the perfect cat whiskers, more information on their trip to Japan and reasons why Dan’s a fair (so far). The duo also discusses their YouTube origin stories and how they met, as well as tips for those interested in uploading videos onto YouTube themselves.
“The Amazing Book is Not on Fire,” is an insight into who Dan and Phil are as people, deep personal backgrounds are shared, which is uncommon in books written by other YouTubers. Their mums discuss their birth, they share dream journal and diary entries and also discuss their time at university.
The friendly banter seen in their videos can also be felt throughout the entire book, making it truly feel like you are reading something by Dan and Phil.
There are so many different pieces to the book that anyone who picks it up can find something to enjoy. Whether they are fans of Dan and Phil or not, once the reader dives into the quirky antics of the duo, it will be difficult to not grow to like them.
The YouTube duo is definitely not new to the fame. Their channels, danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil (hence the book title) have over 5 million subscribers and over 3 million subscribers respectively. Additionally, their joint gaming channel, DanAndPhilGAMES, has reached over 1.5 million subscribers and counting. The two also host a show on BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom, and have created an app of the game that Phil originally started on his channel “The 7 Second Challenge” which was announced in early August, after it became a YouTube sensation.
So, it is not surprising that Dan and Phil are traveling to the U.S. in order to promote their first book. “The Amazing Book is Not on Fire” book tour will include a trip to Anderson’s Bookshop Naperville location for a sold out signing on Friday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m., where fans will be able to get their copy signed as well as get a picture with Dan and Phil themselves.
