Google Earth & Maps

The Encyclopedia of GIS provides a comprehensive and authoritative guide, contributed by experts and peer-reviewed for accuracy, and alphabetically arranged for convenient access. The entries explain key software and processes used by geographers and computational scientists. ...

Geographic information science (GIS) is an emerging field that combines aspects of many different disciplines. As a result, GIS literature is spread widely across the academic spectrum and the vocabulary is an amalgam of all of these fields. Often, given the specialized disciplinary orientations of authors, some expectation of foundational knowledge is assumed in much of the literature, making it difficult for readers from different disciplines to understand the full context of what they are reading. The Encyclopedia of Geographical Information Science provides a condensed but rich resource about themes broadly across the field. It also provides details about the key foundations of GIS, no matter what their disciplinary origins, and is, therefore, an important resource for both academic and corporate libraries. ...

The article compares both versions of Google Earth. Although free now, they have made changes to Google Earth.

Chapter 2 in this book, "What does Google Earth mean for the Social Sciences?" is by Michael Goodchild.

Render three-dimensional data and maps with ease. Written as a self-study workbook, Introduction to 3D Data demystifies the sometimes confusing controls and procedures required for 3D modeling using software packages such as ArcGIS 3D Analyst and Google Earth.  Going beyond the manual that comes with the software, this profusely illustrated guide explains how to use ESRI's ArcGIS 3D Analyst to model and analyze three-dimensional geographical surfaces, create 3D data, and produce displays ranging from topographically realistic maps to 3D scenes and spherical earth-like views.

Start building your 3D model today with a comprehensive guide to SketchUp 2014. SketchUp 2014 For Dummies is a user-friendly guide to creating 3D models, adding textures, creating animated walkthroughs, and more, using one of the most popular 3D modeling programs on the market.