A Deadline And A Rare Swiss Miss

He's become such a staple at the annual World Economic Forums in Davos, Switzerland, that some are wondering about Bill Clinton's decision to skip this year's late- January confab. We could guess it's because the man who brought us the Clinton Global Initiative doesn't want to share the do-gooder space with the Davos crowd. But that would be wrong.

Instead, the former president is working on a new book, and deadline pressures are mounting. We hear that the pre-2008 election book will include inspiring stories he's heard and seen during his travels on behalf of his Clinton Foundation and while promoting his global fix-it plans, which focus on AIDS prevention and economic development.

"My hope," he tells us, "is that the people and stories in this book will lift spirits, touch hearts, and demonstrate that citizen activism and service can be a powerful agent of change in the world."

By Paul Bedard