Helena Bachmann, who lives in the Lake Geneva region, has written a good overview for Time magazine on assisted suicide and Switzerland’s efforts to rein in death tourism. She reminds us that the current law dates back to 1942 and brings us up to 2009, with the Swiss government saying the law is now too lax and must be rewritten. Bachmann includes an interesting interview with maxillofacial surgeon Jerome Sobel in Lausanne, who is the president of French-speaking Switzerland’s Exit office (Dignitas is the other main organization that offers suicide assistance). As with so many issues, this one is not as black and white as we might like it to be and her article explores some of the gray areas. Recommended reading.

Patrick Liotard Vogt is moving from Zurich to New York. He went to school at rich kids’ school Le Rosey in Rolle, so we can probably safely assume that he spends time on roads between Zurich and Geneva. The very-rich jet-setting 25-year-old who says he is involved with some 40 companies (he’s chairman of Poken, a startup I know and like, founded by IMD graduate Stéphane Doutriaux). The Huffington Post carries a lengthy interview with him. The last line caught my eye: he likes to drive too fast. So that’s who is in one of those cars zooming past on the autoroute.

And another line: “I come from a family that is more about being successful than being rich. We always learned that if you give something you have to get something. My great grandfather was the CEO and Chairman of Nestle. He started at the bottom and worked his way up. That’s very motivating.”

I had to read that quote a couple times to make sure I had it the right way around: it’s not about philanthropy.

Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Lonely Planet travel guides have included Zurich in their latest pick of 10 favourite cities around the world. The guides call Zurich the “most outrageous” of Switzerland’s cities (Geneva is the most “cosmopolitan”). Down with the stuffy old too-clean banking centre image, up with the “proudly party heavy by night” face to the city.

We have just added information to the Cheerful traveler guides, on traveling to and around in Basel, Bern and Zurich. They’re designed for people who live in the Lake Geneva region and travel to other Swiss cities for business or pleasure, but visitors to Switzerland will also find them helpful.

We’re in the process of updating two of our other guides, so be sure to revisit these pages in the next few days.