A whirlwind of signings and appearances has helped propel former Gov. Tim Pawlenty's new book, "Courage to Stand," into the No. 1 spot in nonfiction on the Washington Post's bestseller list.

Says the paper's Book World writer Christopher Schoppa: "Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, enjoys top billing in nonfiction with a #1 debut ... folks will be reading it as a measure of the man, no doubt, considering a potential presidential run in 2012."

Obviously, the book hits the top spot in the Post's Political Bestseller category, too, with Schoppa's note: "As one would expect, former governor Tim Pawlenty's new memoir tops the list (as it does on the general nonfiction list) ... only time will tell whether the strong debut holds up."

"Decision Points" by George W. Bush is No. 2.

The Post says it uses Nielsen's BookScan, a national tracking service, to produce its list. Still, Pawlenty's book didn't crack the latest New York Times list, or either of the Twin Cities papers' lists.