Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced Friday that his book tour beginning next month will head through Iowa and New Hampshire -- the first presidential caucus and primary states -- in addition to a handful of Minnesota stops.

Two days after Pawlenty's book "Courage to Stand" hits stores, he'll head to Washington to launch his tour.

Pawlenty, who says he'll decide early next year whether to run for president, also has scheduled appearances in Florida, Texas and Ohio. His Minnesota stops include Woodbury on Jan. 18 and Burnsville and St. Cloud on Jan. 27.

Pawlenty also is scheduled to make appearances on "The View" and "The Daily Show."

An excerpt from the book released Friday describes a scene when Pawlenty was 12, where he helped his dad remove meat hooks from trailers -- causing him to "toss [his] cookies."

"Our family needed money, and my dad needed my help," Pawlenty writes. "So I wiped my mouth on my short-sleeved shirt, pulled my gloves on a little tighter, and stuck my hands back into the hooks. Over the course of a few hours, we got the job done.

"We have to do this," he continues. "It's impossible to count how many times I've applied that lesson in my life, especially in the political arena, where the tangled mess often seems insurmountable."

The excerpt highlights a Pawlenty strategy to portray himself as a working-class candidate in contrast with other potential 2012 contenders.

Pawlenty's memoir will join a crowded bookshelf of 2012 presidential hopefuls: former Govs. Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee also have books out, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich releases his one week before Pawlenty.

Jeremy Herb • 202-408-2723