The Barnes & Noble on Concord Pike in Brandywine Hundred has plenty in stock. The book has been selling relatively well there. When Biden attended signings upon the book’s publication, a spokesperson says, the turnout and sales were a huge success. Now that Biden is one step from the main national political spotlight, that attention is even more potent.

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At the Borders on Geoffrey Drive in Stanton, about 20 hardback copies were in stock when Biden was added to the ticket. They're gone, and a spokesperson says the store is accepting reserved orders for the roughly 400 paperbacks it expects to arrive soon. Even the inventory system is having trouble keeping up with demand.

While his book is expected to touch on terrorism and security issues, it's been described as much more of a memoir, going back to his Delaware childhood and taking readers through his more than thirty years as a senator (a period that included a 1988 presidential run). One insider praised Biden for his authorial talent, calling him "a very thoughtful writer." No word on a ghostwriter. Random did not have a comment by press time.