State Sen. Fred Smith has written an autobiography.

As part of his campaign for the Republican nomination for governor, the Clayton businessman spent the last two years working with an assistant on "A Little Extra Effort."

In 165 pages, the self-published book covers his childhood in Raleigh, his college days, his Army service, and his life as a lawyer and businessman. It ends with his political career and his prescriptions for change in state government.

Smith said he chose to focus on his life — rather than write "a policy manual" — to help voters get to know him. He said policy stances can quickly become outdated, pointing to Hurricane Katrina.

"No one could write a book about how they would handle that ahead of time," he said.

About 2,000 hardcover copies of the book have been printed through Sheridan Books. Five hundred were given away at the state Republican Party convention and others have been sent to interested voters. A free download is available on his campaign Web site.