Sen. Cory Booker signs book deal

With a name like his, it seemed inevitable: Cory Booker has signed a book deal.

The U.S. senator will publish “United” with Ballantine Bantam Dell, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in January 2016.

Booker came to national attention as the social-media savvy mayor of Newark, N.J., winning a Shorty Award for his Twitter account in 2010. Now with 1.5 million Twitter followers, Booker made a name for himself beyond his city’s boundaries by responding to citizen complaints on the service -- even personally digging out their cars during a blizzard and inviting residents, powerless after Hurricane Sandy, to come to his house to use the electricity and watch DVDs. His high social media profile meant that his other above-and-beyond actions while mayor -- including saving a woman from a burning building -- were reported widely.

He brought a pledge of $100 million to Newark schools from Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, and while that donation has been controversial, his political fortunes have not turned. The Yale Law grad, Rhodes Scholar and former football player was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2013 at age 44.

Booker’s “United” will be “a vital message about revitalizing the American Dream,” his publisher says in a release, “at this moment in history while addressing our country’s most pressing issues.”

Savvy readers will notice that this sounds like pre-campaigning on a grand scale, the kind of thing politicians do when they are aspiring to aspire to our highest office. Recent Republican presidential hopefuls’ books include Sen. Rand Paul’s “Taking a Stand: Moving Beyond Partisan Politics to Unite America,” Sen. Ted Cruz’s “A Time for Truth: Reigniting the Promise of America,” Sen. Marco Rubio’s “American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone,” Carly Fiorina’s “Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey” and Mike Huckabee’s “Gods, Guns, Grits and Gravy.”

In the release from his publisher, Booker said, “Our national story is one of progress in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. We’ve advanced to where we are today thanks to countless Americans who united together with an unrelenting determination to overcome challenges, seize opportunities and leave our country a better place for the next generation. The binds that tie us are truly greater than the lines that divide us. I am excited to have the opportunity to share stories and ideas that I believe are important if we as a nation are to continue to advance together.”

Book news and more; I’m @paperhaus on Twitter