On the long list of books on The New York Times’ bestseller list there is a book about natural cures, one concerning a code formed by Leonardo DaVinci and one by a confessed sham. Also on that most prestigious of book list is an author whose stories are nothing if not funny and a little disturbing.

Tucker Max, a self-described “assh—,” broke onto the list with his book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, an anthology of anecdotal stories about the author or friends of the author in situations that rival any National Lampoon‘s movie for their raunchiness and vulgarity.

Max, who’s Web site (tuckermax.com) was his original forum for all things Tucker and boasts more than five million viewers a year, is currently traveling around the country promoting his best-seller.

The subject matter of most of the stories concerns either promiscuous sex or drunken activities that have left either Max or his friends embarrassed, reeling or laughing hysterically; but as Max’s sales and visits to his Web site grow, it is obvious his particular lifestyle is one that people admire or at least enjoy reading about.

Max recently visited the Barnes & Noble bookstore at South Point mall in Durham for a book-signing and held an after-party at Chapel Hill’s East End Martini Bar.

Max graduated from Duke University Law School before realizing his true-calling was in the publishing industry.

Technician caught up with Max and his friends at the bar to ask them about his success, his lifestyle and any tips he has for his college fan base.

Technician: When did you figure out there was a market for your life and your lifestyle?

Tucker Max: I don’t know, dude. Honestly, I figured out when … well the whole Web site started with e-mails from my friends. My friends are all pretty funny. I just put them up and I obviously didn’t foresee all of this happening; I would be a liar if I said I had a master plan. I stumbled into this. I put them up and people just responded.

Technician: You started the Web site while at Duke?

TM: I put up the Web site when I was at Duke and I took it down when we all went to work at law firms.

Technician: When did you start this lifestyle?

TM: Dude, I’ve been that way my whole life. I’ve been a [expletive] assh— and like, “I don’t give a [expletive],” for about 10 or 20 years. You don’t understand the Web site didn’t make me. I made the Web site. I was Tucker Max before anyone knew who I was. I didn’t do it for the Web site, I did it because it was fun.

Technician: Any idea it would get this big?

TM: I mean, once it got rolling I was like, “Yeah dude, I can be huge.” But at first, nah. I had no [expletive] idea.

Technician: Any idea you would be making your money off this?

TM: I mean, once it got rolling I was like, “I can do this.” At first it didn’t occur to me.

Technician: Where do you see yourself in 10 years, still doing this?

TM: If I’m 40 years old hitting on 18-year-olds at college bars, it’s going to be really [expletive] sad.

Technician: Who do you see as your biggest audience?

TM: My audience is like 16-45. But the ones [who] are really hardcore — the ones [who] are like, “I worship this guy” — are usually like 15-22. They are the ones who haven’t done any of the stuff I’ve done and so they find it amazing. Once you start hitting 22, 24, 25 you start doing the things.

I haven’t done anything that amazing; some of the [expletive] is funny but it’s nothing that like … we’ve all done the [expletive]. Those guys read it because they think it’s funny.

But the older like … 30, 31, 32 you start slowing in life and getting married, you read it because you remember when you used to do the [expletive].

Technician: What do you think of your fans?

TM: I can’t say what I think of my fans as a group because they are a pretty diverse group. Not one statement defines them all. I don’t know, they are all different types of people.

Technician: Besides being an assh—, how else would you describe yourself?

TM: I’m caring and empathetic. I don’t know mother[expletive].

Technician: You have a law degree right? Are you going to do anything with that?

TM: I’m on the [expletive] New York Times’ best-seller list. I don’t understand why people ask, “What am I going to do with my life?”

Technician: Are you going to fall back on that?

TM: Why, I’m a star in my field — a rising star in my field. It’s not like I’m in college and I have to graduate at some point. The question doesn’t make sense to me. Its like, “What are you going to do when you grow up?” That’s [expletive]. I’m doing it.

Tucker Max’s friend and character from the stories, SlingBlade, chimed in to talk about his friend.

SlingBlade: The best thing about Tucker is that he’s not a hypocrite. He’s a [expletive] assh—, but he admits it.

He’s a [expletive] assh—, I’ll tell you that, but he’s not going to be like, “Uh I was drunk, I didn’t mean to do that.” He’s like, “No, whatever this is who I am, this is what I do.”

He’s fun to hang out with.

Technician: What does your family think about what you do?

TM: (Sarcastically) My mom cries a lot. My dad kind of understands it, not a visceral level, just more like, “I see that he’s making money, and he’s not asking me for money so all right, whatever.”

Technician: What about ex-girlfriends?

TM: I don’t know. I mean some of them don’t like it. Some of them think its funny, but if I’m not [expletive] them, then what do I care?

Technician: What would the world be like if everyone were like you?

TM: It would be [expletive] for me if everyone were like me. I wouldn’t be unique. I don’t know. It would be better because people would be more honest. It would be [expletive] for me because then I would be an average Joe.

Technician: You wouldn’t be making money.

TM: Exactly, I wouldn’t be big anymore.

Technician: Any regrets?

TM: I do [expletive] everyday I regret.

Technician: What about stuff you write about?

TM: I do [expletive] all the time that I’m like, “It was stupid. What the [expletive] was I thinking?” Whatever. What do you mean? Like mistakes or a moral decision?

Technician: Mistakes.

TM: Dude, there’s girls I’ve [expletive] over that I think was [expletive], but like [expletive] like that. But mostly the bad [expletive] I did between like 20 and 24, 25 and that was back when I didn’t understand.

I learned at 25 that the best way to go through life was to be [expletive] honest. Because most of the time girls want to [expletive] as much or more than you do, but they don’t want to feel like a [expletive] and then I realized that you don’t have to lie and be deceitful. Not only is it not really worthwhile, it hurts you and the other person. But when you’re honest, you get everything you want and more and it’s much easier. And I found the whole world opened up.

Technician: What advice would you give guys my age at 22?

TM: When I was your age I was a junior in Chicago. I was a third year at Chicago. I went to [expletive] law school — the right law school. I got a [expletive] job and it [expletive] sucked. So it’s not like I started out at 22 knowing what I wanted to do. I had to find out the hard way.

(Side conversation with fans and SlingBlade, drinks consumed)

TM: It takes a lot of courage and a lot of maturity to break out of other people’s expectations. There’s not one way to do it. Really what you have to do is just decide this is what I want. First you have to decide who you are. The first step is honest self-examination. It’s not like you are going to figure it out day one. You have to keep coming back to it. Who am I? What do I like? What do I want to do? What skills do I have? How do other people see me? How am I coming off? Total, honest self-examination.