I can't help but slap my forehead when I read "in person is better than a book." As we said in grade school---Duuh...
Books have never been a substitute for hands on learning. That's the wrong way to look at it, IMO.
Books provide an opportunity to see from a distance--same as the Internet, but more permanent and portable. You cannot see through an instructor, some of the things that are in many books (even some of the good beginner books). For instance, you can't see what bonsai looked liked 70 years ago in Japan and how it has progressed--not really essential in designing your bonsai, but interesting nevertheless.
You cannot have a world renowned instructor give you a personal class every day in person. You can with books by Naka, Kimura, etc. You cannot get species specific collection instruction from someone who has actual collection experience with dozens of species--try Nick Lenz's book.
There is definitely a lot of chaff along with the wheat with bonsai books--"ego" books have been common for some time in bonsai. Authors have been ostentatiously showing off their "souls" for some time. Those books don't really have any value, as they're primarily showcases for the author's trees with philosophical blather for text. Some books do, however, offer real information that can be used.
If it weren't for books, I wouldn't be doing bonsai. I learned a great deal at first from many of them. "Four Seasons of Bonsai," Naka's books, Peter Chan's and Yoshimura's work, and others all provided insight for me when I was starting out...