Bob Burg and John David Mann's The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea quickly became a national bestseller. It's parable format told readers a great story that showed how giving could actually increase profits, rather than diminish them. More than that, it showed that those who don't give, actually struggled more, and were likely in a position to fail as opposed to those experiencing utmost success.

A great story, but for many, it posed questions ("it's a fine story, but does it really work in the reality of day-to-day business?"). To answer the questions, Burg and Mann just released Go-Givers Sell More, which is not a parable or story, but a straight-up guide about the values of giving. This seems to prove these guys aren't just good story tellers (they are that, too) but actually have clear details on how to apply these principles to your business; with examples and further insights.

Based on Five Laws (Value, Compensation, Influence, Authenticity, and Receptivity), the book is far more than a sales book (despite what the title implies). It teaches us about customer relations - make that human relations, and how to form long term, profitable relationships, where we don't just focus on taking from people, but truly doing business - a constant exchange of value - both material and otherwise. Awesome stuff.

I've been in a knock-down, drag-em-out brawl with the Wisconsin Winter and, at the moment, I'm losing. I've even lost my voice in the fight, but I can still type, which is good because we have two weeks worth of links to catch up on.

? Having trouble focusing on your writing? Dr. Wicked gives you an ultimatum: Write or Die. I found about it in a great review of that software and Freedom from PW's Elizabeth Bluemle.

? Edward Nawotka asks If They Need to Compete With Digital, Why Can’t Publishers Work Faster?

? Bradley Will of Unstrapped interviewed Bob Burg, coauthor of The Go-Giver and The Go-Giver Sells More. Burg counsels that “You're true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment." It is a decent and honest approach to sales, and if you enjoy the interview, you should definitely pick up the books.

? The Wall Street Journal's Hannah Karp wrote a really interesting story about the bookworms of the NBA. It turns out that the NBA players' union has a quarterly reading list, and is currently suggesting Geoffrey Colvin's excellent book, Talent is Overrated. It also turns out that Emeka Okafor has really good taste in literature.

? We're really looking forward to Rework, and after watching the book trailer, we think you will be, too.

? I'm rather ashamed that I haven't read any of the books on the shortlist of Three Percent's Best Translated Book Awards.

? Kent Pitman has written an interesting post at Open Salon about what has become of computer science, and winds up on Jaron Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget, saying "The book is a beautifully presented criticism of the state of society's relationship with computation, of the way in which we are trending toward having people be the dull, uninteresting, expendable, ill-paid part of a collection organism."

? Also at Open Salon, Karin Greenberg wrote beautifully about The Scent of Books and the smells of literature.

? Julien Smith thinks that "If you are taking part in this experiment, you are one of us." He said so in an inspirational post about how the web frees us up to "to become the people we were born to become." So, join the f---ing club, already, and change the world.

? Don't like your MacBook case, try the BookBook.

? Mr. Micawber pointed me to an interesting post by Stacy Mitchell about taxes and Amazon, or Why Congress Wants You to Shun Your Local Bookstore and Shop at Amazon Instead. (It was a while ago, but Micawber's has also posted the best elementary school sign ever.)

? I can use the fact that pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training since we last talked as an excuse to link to a wonderfully written and researched story about why Rabbit Maranville Is Not a Nazi, right?

? Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite is probably my favorite album of all-time. To end Black History Month, here is a performance of "Triptych: Prayer/Protest/Peace." The vocalist is Abbey Lincoln.