Last year, I posted a note, “Instructions in Unctuous Condescension,” about a hilarious memo written by my friend Scott Ohlgren, creator of the innovative beverage Brain Toniq.

Scott recently penned an important memo to his team, which I felt impelled to share.

Remember: our people make the difference.

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, March 25–26, Cameron Johnson will be speaking at the Microsoft Small Business Summit, which is being broadcast free, worldwide, from Microsoft’s campus in Seattle.

In his Tuesday talk, during the 10–11 hour (Pacific time), Cameron shares business tips for aspiring entrepreneurs. On Wednesday, during the 12–1 hour, his topic is “Philanthropy and entrepreneurship: why they go hand in hand.”

You can see the complete list of speakers and the schedule breakdown, hour by hour, on the summit’s web site.

I’m registering right now and marking my calendar — this should be informative and valuable. (And a lot of fun!)

When he was young (seven, I think), one of my sons, Nick, reflected aloud one day on the state of the world. “It seems like everything is . . . getting worse. You know?” He looked at me, and I nodded in that noncommittal way that could mean, “Yeah, I know what you mean,” or just as easily, “Go on, I’m listening.”

He thought for a moment, then added, “But it also seems like everything is getting better.”

I think he’s right. What do you think?

We certainly are hearing from a range of folks about their experiences with and responses to The Go-Giver.

An auto dealer bought forty-four copies for his salespeople. A CEO bought 5,000 copies for his. The head of a prestigious business school program invited us to be the annual speaker to address his graduating class of business fellows. We heard from a woman who plans to use the book in her lectures to lawyers on family law, and from a company owner man who is legally blind, heard the audio version and began teaching the “five laws” to his staff. From a photographer, a teacher of small children, several IT company owners, and a maintenance person—all talking about how they plan to use the principles of the book in their work and life.

But I think this one may be the most original so far: a post on “Feel Good Eating,” a blog devoted to chronicling what Marc the blogger cooks and eats every day.

And somehow, The Go-Giver worked its way onto the menu. (Bon appetit, Marc!)

This week The Go-Giver hit #9 on BusinessWeek’s monthly bestseller list (click on the link for March 10).

The review attached to the listing is a tad, well, superior. (“If words like service, authenticity, and generosity have you checking your wallet, this fable about finding success through giving probably isn’t for you.” I’m not even sure what that means! Our publicist’s comment: “So New York!”)

But hey: being ranked #9 on a list of their top 16, I don’t much mind what the reviewer thinks.

With Oprah’s Big Give premiering tomorrow night, Cameron Johnson (one of the show’s ten contestants) will most likely be surfacing in the media quite a bit in the months ahead. I’ll resist the temptation to post every last appearance—but this one is just too good to pass up. Here is Cam’s national apprearance yesterday on FOX-TV’s “The Morning Show with Mike & Julie.”

Does this young dude have amazing presence, or what? (And I’ll tell you what: he’s 100 percent genuine what-you-see-is-what-you-get, offscreen the same as on.)