Other articles by Sarah Mauet:

Form over function Catching some air Let's do lunge, correctly Dealing with food Exhibit explores nature of creativity Everyone has a secret ... Walking good for both man and beast 'The Dog Diet' Out there among us Perfecting the push-up Fighting kids' cavities

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Tucson Urban League
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Everready Glass
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Charles E. Gillman Company
Accounting Specialist

On top of all the stump speeches, debates, hand shaking, baby kissing and "I have approved this message" messages, there's a new requirement for 2008 presidential hopefuls — they must be book authors or editors.

True, it's not really a prerequisite, but it sure seems as though everyone throwing their name into the hat has at least one book backing them up. In fact, Republican candidate Duncan Hunter is the only main contender without a publication of his own.

Even Stephen Colbert, host of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," announced his intention to run in October one week after the release of his book, "I Am America (and So Can You!)." Though his attempts to get on South Carolina's ballot ultimately failed, his book did become a best-seller.

Arizonans will have several candidate authors to choose from on Feb. 5. With only a few months of mudslinging to go before "Super Tuesday," it may seem impossible to really get to know the contenders. Luckily, there's still ample time to curl up with candidates' books.

A few seasoned politicians became authors years ago and have several titles under their belts, but most have had a book hit the shelves sometime this year — or have a new one coming out.

• Joe Biden, senator from Delaware. "Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics" (July 31).

• Hillary Clinton, senator from New York. "Living History" (2003).

• Chris Dodd, senator from Connecticut. "Letters from Nuremberg: My Father's Narrative of a Quest for Justice" (Sept. 11).

• John Edwards, lawyer, former director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity, and former senator from North Carolina. "Ending Poverty in America: How to Restore the American Dream" (April 2).

• Mike Gravel, lecturer, CEO of the Democracy Foundation and former senator from Alaska. "My America" (April 2008).

• Dennis Kucinich, representative from Ohio. "The Courage to Survive" (Nov. 1).

• Barack Obama, senator from Illinois. "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" (2006).

• Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico. "Leading by Example: How We Can Inspire an Energy and Security Revolution" (Oct. 26).

• Rudy Giuliani, lawyer and former New York City mayor. "Leadership" (2002).

• Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor, businessman and Baptist minister. "Character Makes a Difference: Where I'm From, Where I've Been, and What I Believe" (June 1).

• Duncan Hunter, representative from California. No book.

• Alan Keyes, former UN ambassador and broadcaster. "Our Character, Our Future: Reclaiming America's Moral Destiny" (1996).

• John McCain, senator from Arizona. "Hard Call: Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them" (Aug. 14).

• Ron Paul, representative from Texas. "A Foreign Policy of Freedom: Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship" (June 15).

• Mitt Romney, businessman and former Massachusetts governor. "Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games" (2004).

• Tom Tancredo, representative from Colorado. "In Mortal Danger: The Battle for America's Border and Security" (2006).

• Fred Thompson, actor and former senator from Tennessee. "Government at the Brink: The Root Causes of Government Waste and Mismanagement" (Aug. 24).