Some reviewers of the book have, I point out, argued that it ignores the elephant in the room, namely Google’s own role, and the amount of power it is steadily accruing over our lives. But for Schmidt and Cohen, there is essentially no distinction between Google’s good and the world’s. Giving more people more information makes their lives better, and makes Google richer and more able to help more people. This is a virtuous circle from which, in their view, everyone benefits: not just in terms of free email accounts or mapping software, but greater connectivity, transparency and personal freedom. “Google is more than a business,” says Schmidt. “Google is a belief system. And we believe passionately in the open internet model. So all of the answers to the questions that we give are, at the core, about the benefits of a free and open internet.”