They're trying to increase the pipeline of software developers. One way to solve the problem of not being able to hire the workforce you need is to train more workforce. This guide is a very inexpensive way for them to increase the top end of the funnel at basically zero cost or obligation to themselves. The topics are pretty specific to the types of work you'd do at Google; they're good, although the field of software engineering is much broader than what's listed here.

Given that they linked to online sources for everything, I'd say yes. Some of those Coursera courses in particular are very high quality.

Also worth nothing: "an increasing proportion of people hired at Google these days don’t have college degrees."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2014/04/07/how-goo...

I don't know if that's what they're trying to say but that's absolutely true, provided you're diligent, curious, and someone who does well with self-directed learning.

They want "people like us" as L & S did CS degrees therefore their recruiting is slanted that way.

Same for top 10 Law schools and big Law