I found the book to have a ton of useful examples on how to write reports using Cognos and on how to use some of the more complicated features. For example, creating a union in a report and how to use a Master-Detail relationship in a report. There are examples for just about everything.

IBM Cognos 8 Business Intelligence: The Official Guide is definitely a different kind of technology book. It provides real-world expert advise, tips, and techniques for all different types of Cognos users. For business users and managers, this book provides straightforward information on Cognos BI concepts to empower business decisions. Even if you're experiencing Cognos for the first time, after leafing through the first few chapters, users at any level should feel comfortable navigating the Cognos interface, running analysis, scheduling reports, and even authoring some reports. For more experienced developers, this book goes above and beyond a simple reference guide, How-To document, or Knowledge Base article. Combining best practices with expert techniques in Framework Manager, Event Studio, Report Studio, and Analysis Studio, more technical users will be able to quickly deliver superior data models and unlock enhanced reporting capabilities. After reading this book, regardless of your skill level, you will improve your knowledge and understanding of the Cognos tools and environment.

even at 40 bucks i might have been interested ...but since i am looking for some intruction into actually using the program...a sample would have helped me decide...though i guess it did...since i wont be buying it...based on the sample provided.