The Joe the Plumber book is coming soon. Really soon.

Joe the Plumber, a.k.a. Samuel Wurzelbacher, landed on the national stage on Oct. 15, when John McCain brought him up during a debate with Barack Obama. The Ohio-based tradesman wasn't planning on national stardom -- if he had been, he probably would have renewed his plumber's license -- but he's managing his time in the spotlight with an agent and a book deal. An amazingly fast book deal: It's due on shelves on Dec. 1.

Mediabistro's Unbeige has a preview of the cover of "Joe the Plumber -- Fighting for the American Dream." The book will be released, Fox News reports, "by a group called PearlGate Publishing and other small publishing houses."

PearlGate Publishing has released one other book, "Things Forgotten" by author/publisher Thomas Tabback. In it, "I wanted to marry the account given in the Book of Joshua with direct historical evidence," Tabback writes on his website. "You can use the Bible and extra-biblical history together as a roadmap to the past." The book's opening, titled "The Promised Land," ends with this paragraph:

Yet, as it was written, Israel invaded Canaan and the events that transpired were immortalized within the Bible, forever changing the course of history. Though acts of God and triumphs and failures of Israel are recorded in poetic detail, lost are the personal accounts of those who lived it. No account, save the biblical record, has ever been discovered.

Tabback could benefit from the help of a copy editor (the second "it" has no antecedent; "personal accounts who lived through those times," maybe?), but with a release date of Dec. 1, the publisher has got to be scrambling to finalize the manuscript. What's more, he's also the co-writer of "Joe the Plumber -- Fighting for the American Dream." That would be a lot of responsibility for a seasoned publishing professional; Tabback must really have his hands full.

Tabback's short bio on the PearlGate website doesn't reveal any publishing experience other than his own book. Tabback does have a Southern California connection, though -- he once worked at Universal Studios in Hollywood, and was here during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. So he's experienced at least one bumpy ride.

-- Carolyn Kellogg

Photo: Lori King / Associated Press

Comments

[The]

The sale of the books is Samuel's American dream, but not mine for sure!!! Never thought of buying it!!!

[Larry in NC]

Can't wait. I need to wrap some fish!

[S Thomas]

It is imperative that Joe the Plumber's book be released ASAP before people forget who he is.

[Erin]

You folks have no taste. His book will be made into a Bravo reality show: "Desperate Plumbers." Palin will make a guest appearance w/ a plumbing question. Then "Joe" will start appearing on FOX as a guest commentator on foreign policy. Watch out, the other "Joe" (Scarborough)--he's after your job!

[ernieson]

He stands to make more money returning to the welfare line.

[Joe the armchair analyst]

The guy just lost the election, so please, go easy on him.

[Eric]

Notice that in the picture there is no reading material in sight. Hmmmm, those issues of The Economist and Harper's must have been cropped out by the liberal media and replaced with the cheap plastic cup and pack of cigarettes.

[David]

Wouldn't be ironic if he made finally made enough dough to "suffer" a tax increase, maybe spend most of it on lawyers sorting out his other problems with the IRS.

[JMarra]

Well.

If I were someone in Joe's position, without any solid career, children to pay for and bills in the mail, I'd grab at any offer of cash for dignity, or cash for dumb opinions that other people snicker at.

You know: will abase myself for food. That kind of thing. I could see it happening in my case. I don't have any dignity anyway: I'm poor.

If Joe DOES cash in and buys himself a nice house, sets up trusts for his kids, "makes the scene" with a posse of shaveheads called Joe 2, Joe 3, Joe 1089--well, he'll be blushing and ducking and dodging his critics and name callers all the way to the bank, like Liberace.

Don't get me wrong: I despise Joe's provinciality and ignorance. But if I had a shot at some financial security for looking like a fool, I might take it too.

People have done more undignified things for money than write a book and be mocked. Some guy in the gummint embezzled for money to pay his wife's medical bills. I myself am looking at less mobility, less capability, greater fragility and greater senility in the next two decades! Does it take cold cash to assuage old age? You betcha.

Bob Dole probably needed that Viagra money too.

..

[Allan Castle]

Joe the Haiku

bald bogus plumber
plucked from dire obscurity
time to get your coat

[Who?]

Wow, two weeks from the deal to the shelves. Scholastic books take longer to write!

We all know the reason behind the hasty release is that Joe is sitting at 14 minutes and 34 seconds. They're running against time to keep the public's attention.

[Who?]

Jim wrote:
"With the economy as bas as it is I hope people do not spend their hard earned money on this book or the Sarah Palin book coming out. People save your money do not give these idots any money."

You've got a good heart, Jim. I say...so be it. Anyone who would buy Joe The Plumber's book deserves to go broke...

[Steve the Soundman]

Whilst plunging out my clogged toilet last night I took pause to realize that I too could walk in the footsteps of that famous almost plumber.

I also have a story to tell and you betcha' I could pound dat thing out in a coupla' week or so don't ya know. You're gonna love it! A real beaut!

[Jane Scott]

Joe the Plumber speaks for many Americans.

Why shouldn't an ordinary person put his thoughts

on paper? I will buy the book.