Hi Frank,
You have a point there. I know the book you talk about. The images are mouth-wateringly beautiful, and I've been hoping someone will buy it for my birthday or Christmas or whatever. But I agree with Jennifer that Google Earth has a completely new meaning for artists. Before Google Earth only few people had access to satellite images, and even now relatively few people have access to the high quality images which you are describing. As a source of inspiration however Google Earth images are good enough. We (Google Earth artists - if I may be so bold to use that phrase) like to take it a step further, adding our own interpretations, emotions, techniques, etc. This is what artists have always done with whatever their source of inspiration has been (landscape, people, history, beliefs, abstract ideas, etc.). And as Jennifer so rightly points out: we are completely free to roam anywhere on the planet from behind our computer screens, something the traditional landscape painter could only dream of.

Your post gave me an idea which I might follow up on (if it hasn't been done already). BBC television recently brought an incredible 5 part series called The Power of the Planet . It describes the way in which the planet 'works' (importance of volcanoes, water cycles, atmosphere, etc.) and the ways in which we are influencing climate etc. All with stunning video images from all around the planet. The series came out in September/ October 2007 and it has had a big influence on my art.
Following the idea you mention, here's my idea: it would be a great if all the places which are shown in this BBC series could be place marked in Google Earth, each with their own part of the series! It's probably better to post the idea in an other forum, or if this post is copied to the Google Earth Blog. Maybe you have a good suggestion?