Biden, the author, moving up the list

By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff

Senator Joseph Biden's presidential campaign has struggled to gain altitude in polls and fundraising. But the Delaware Democrat this week received the kind of news that would cheer any author, let alone a presidential candidate.

His autobiography, "Promises To Keep," has attained literary lift: it will debut at No. 15 on this Sunday's hardcover nonfiction bestseller list in The New York Times.

While it's not exactly Harry Potter territory, Biden's new status as bestselling author has garnered him a new round of attention, from appearances on "The Daily Show" to one at the Border's book store in Downtown Crossing in Boston on Tuesday.

The book was released on July 31. Publisher Random House bills it as "a book about resilience" after personal and political setbacks.

Biden, who has long been known for his long-winded answers, gives himself 365 pages to tell his story as he wants. He frames the story as being "On Life and Politics," from childhood onward. The book's title comes from the famous poem, "Stopping By Woods on a Snow Evening," by Robert Frost, who happened to live in first-primary state of New Hampshire.

But if you are looking for a shortcut for that special nugget -- or perhaps, to see if your name is mentioned -- you may have to plow through it all. There is no index.