Sen. Barack Obama (right) isn't just one of the names most bandied about by prognosticators of the next Democratic Party presidential primary cycle, he's also an accomplished author...and one whose books can command quite a hefty price under the right conditions. For example, signed first editions of Dreams of My Father, his 1995 autobiography, are being offered on the used book marketplace at AbeBooks.com for as much as $1,698, while signed copies of this year's The Audacity of Hope fetch up to $220 in perfect condition.

(Our photo of Sen. Obama comes from FishbowlNY's coverage of the American Magazine Conference.)