The text is one of the first available for Crystal Reports XI, and is largely a revision of the same material which has been presented in previous editions (which covered earlier versions of Crystal Reports). As you would expect, it does a solid job of covering all the basics. It even goes into some intermediate details in a few sections.
If you are a beginner to Crystal Reports, then the book will be a valuable reference to you. If you're an experienced Crystal Reports developer or you have used previous versions of Crystal Reports, then this book will not get much use. The book does not have many "hints" or "secret tips" that make developing in Crystal Reports easier. However, the amount of material covered is good in that there is not much left out entirely, so even an advanced developer will find bits of useful information, particularly when using Crystal Reports in new ways or on new platforms, etc. For example, the new features presented in Crystal Reports XI are covered in considerable detail, particularly the various methods of implementing new report parameter features. And, thankfully, the sections detailing now-deprecated software components have been removed or minimized.
If you're familiar with the earlier renditions of this book (i.e., for Crystal Reports version 10, etc.), then you will find this rendition exactly as expected.