Former President Bill Clinton gave the keynote address at the opening of the Texas Book Festival in the House Chamber of the Texas Capitol. He spoke about the role of the president, American politics, and the writing of his memoir [My Life]. He said the three most important things to happen since the end of the cold war were that more than half of the world population lived under democracy, the rise of the Internet as an instrument of political power, and the rise of the nongovernmental organization. Following his speech, President Clinton responded to questions and comments from members of the audience.