I recommend MapPoint for Dummies, too. It's only $11.00 (which includes shipping) here. If you buy it in a store, then the cost is retail $29.99.

2006 will be out in a month, so I would just become familiar with the basics. It would take a while to walk through the Dummies book, so by that time the new version will be out and you'll have a feel for whether or not MapPoint fits your goals.

Virtual Earth is another thing to keep an eye on...a lot of big plans for Virtual Earth.

I would start with MapPoint with Dummies.