He has written million-selling books about his early years and the meaning of public life. Now, US presidential candidate Barack Obama, with the help of his campaign staff, has another side to share with readers: policy wonk.

Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama's Plan to Renew America's Promise is coming out September 9 in the US as a paperback with an initial print run of 300,000 copies.

The book, which has been hastily assembled over the past few weeks, will include a foreword by Obama and feature sections written by members of Obama for America, his presidential campaign on such issues as health care, energy and national security. Change We Can Believe In also compiles some of his better known speeches, including his celebrated talk on race and his recent address in Berlin. Net proceeds will go to a charity still to be determined rather than Obama's campaign.

The book will be a pretty stern test of Obama's appeal. Policy books are rarely hits with the public, although they can be quite useful for candidates, such as Obama, who have been criticised for lacking substance. In 1992, Bill Clinton and running mate Al Gore released Putting People First, a blueprint for their time in office that became a best seller and remained popular even after they were elected.


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