Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics by Joe Biden

Well, I've finished reading Joe Biden's 2007 memoir Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics (click here to view all my posts about this book).

And while I would still recommend it to folks who want to learn more about the Senator and the Democratic Nominee for Vice President, I found that as I got further and further into the book it became clear that it was written as a campaign tool (for his 2008 presidential attempt).

The first half of the book -- Biden's childhood, the love story of meeting his first wife Neila, Biden's Senate campaign, the tragic death of Neila and his baby daughter Naomi in 1972, meeting Jill and rebuilding his family, and coming into his own as a Senator -- is beautiful and moving.

But as the memoir moves into September 11th, Afghanistan and Iraq, I started to lose interest because it felt like Biden was trying to sell readers on a Biden Presidency.

Click here to view the table of contents, here to read an excerpt from Promises to Keep, or here to visit the Senator's website.

Promises to Keep by Joe Biden

The more I've seen of Joe Biden these last few weeks, the more I've come to like him.

I've started reading his 2007 memoir Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics (click here to view all my posts about this book) and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the Democratic Nominee for Vice President.

Since Biden took the title of his book from a line from Robert Frost's famous poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," I thought I'd share it here:

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Click here to view the table of contents or here to read an excerpt.

Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics by Joseph R. Biden

With Joe Biden as Obama's VP choice, I'd like to read Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics by Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

I've listened to the audio version of Obama's Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance and I have a hardback copy of The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream that I've been meaning to read.

Any thoughts on Biden's Promises to Keep?

Is it worth reading?

Does it provide insight into the man who may be our next Vice President?

How does it compare to Obama's books?

I've listened to Biden's August 2007 interview with NPR's Morning Edition; how does this memoir compare to this interview?

Click here to read an excerpt from Promises to Keep, courtesy of Random House, or click here to view the table of contents.

And lastly, click here if you're interested in a free Obama-Biden sticker, courtesy of MoveOn.org.