I really enjoy the ability to download a book sample with my nook. It was an attracting feature for me. The samples that are given, however, are often useless for their purpose and I think do a disservice to the author(s). I have downloaded samples that are 15 pages long; the first 8 or so pages are title and copywright and dedications, then you get some pages of acknowledgements and then, if you are lucky you get to read something and it is one or two pages of the introduction. Personally, I do not read introductions anymore. I do not feel that they add anything useful to the book.
My point (that I went a long way towards obscuring) is that a book sample should be a sample of the book's content and not simply the first 15 - 20 pages. This will not, however, deter me from downloading samples because I enjoy that feature too much.

Joe