If no-one else has time to read the full Google webmaster pages, here are a few of the most important points.

1) The basics:
Google Information for Webmasters: "Google's order of results is automatically determined by more than 100 factors, including our PageRank algorithm. Please check out our 'Why Use Google' page for more details. Due to the nature of our business and our interest in protecting the integrity of our search results, this is the only information we make available to the public about our ranking system."

2) Google's words on SEO & unsolicted emails:

Google Information for Webmasters: "While Google does not have relationships with any SEOs and does not offer recommendations, we do have a few tips that may help you distinguish between an SEO that will improve your site and one that will only improve your chances of being dropped from search engine results altogether.
Be wary of SEO firms that send you email out of the blue.

Amazingly, we get these spam emails too:
'Dear google.com,
I visited your website and noticed that you are not listed in most of the major search engines and directories...'
Reserve the same skepticism for unsolicited email about search engines as you do for 'burn fat at night' diet pills or requests to help transfer funds from deposed dictators."

3) Checking PR automatically:
Google Information for Webmasters:

Fiction: Automated "ranking checking" programs are a good way for webmasters to save time and measure their "online presence."
Fact: Automated "ranking checking" programs violate Google's terms of service. They use server resources that should be spent on answering user requests. We strongly request that you not use rank checking programs to check your position on Google

4) On links, a cautionary tale quoted by Google:
Finally, we broke down and joined one of these programs. Unfortunately, the program used hidden links, and Google removed us from the index within a week. I guess it's true that anyone can get fooled into buying snake oil."
- Frank, owner of a limousine services company

5) Submitting:
Fiction: A website will be removed from Google's index if it's 'over-submitted'.
Fact: We do not require submission nor do we penalize sites for 'over-submission'. You are free to submit as often as you wish. However, given the nature of our inclusion process, your time is better spent improving the content and links of your site.

Google APIs Intended to improve search results for the topic being researched NOT to glean information about google technology & ranking algorithms.

Google Web APIs - Home: "Develop Your Own Applications Using Google
With the Google Web APIs service, software developers can query more than 3 billion web documents directly from their own computer programs. Google uses the SOAP and WSDL standards so a developer can program in his or her favorite environment - such as Java, Perl, or Visual Studio .NET."

Google Web APIs - Terms: "Terms and Conditions for Google Web API Service
By using this service ('Google Web APIs') you agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions (the 'Terms and Conditions').
Personal and legitimate uses only"