Here's a familiar story: we're told that tourist guides are absolutely essential for choosing your next destination, but that's forgetting today's reality.
I remember my neighbor, Carmen, who wanted to see her family in Seville; she didn't pull out a big book, she simply called her niece for the best tips.
The role of these books has really changed; especially for young people, the internet is the first and often the only step.
These guides are more of a complement for some, or useful when there's no network in the middle of nowhere, but not a starting point for everyone.