Is it better to have external links that point to your page or better if you point back to them?

It's completely irrelevant. The incoming link combined with the page rank of the linking page and the total number of links originating from that page are all that matter. Whether or not you link back has no bearing on anything whatsoever.

Yes, not only google but every other search engines attach more weight to a one-way incomming link than a link exchange.

Reciprocal links can be viewed as "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours", and Google will not place so much value on them.

Far from being bad, they are beneficial to your site. If the subject matter on both of the sites is related, this will carry far more weight that if you are linking to something totally unrelated. Generally speaking, the more links in the better, however the concentrate on building quality links.

When it comes to backlinks (a link from an external site to your own), these are the best by far. For someone to give a link to your site for nothing they must attribute some value to the site.

If it was your business, you you would be promoting a genuine service up to your own standards. Google basically thinks the same way and a lot of incoming links is a great way to climb up the rankings.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.