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

One day after Pawlenty held his first press conference with Gov.-elect Mark Dayton, he announced that his book tour for "Courage to Stand" will launch in Washington on Jan. 13, two days after the book hits stores.

Pawlenty, who has said he'll make a decision on running for president early next year, scheduled out-of-state stops in Florida, Texas and Ohio as well as Iowa and New Hampshire. His Minnesota stops include Woodbury on Jan. 18 and Burnsville and St. Cloud on Jan. 27.

An excerpt of the book was also released Friday, describing a scene when he was 12 where Pawlenty helped his dad remove meat hooks from trailers, and threw up in the process from the rank odor.

The excerpt highlights one of Pawlenty's strategies so far to differentiate himself from other potential 2012 contenders as a working-class candidate who can connect with everyday people.

"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."

Read the full excerpt here.