Travel guide: book vs person

I think a combination is best. The local guide is going to have passion that can never be matched by a book, plus the guide can answer questions as they come up and help you explore places you might not go on your own. However, the guide books are (usually) written by fellow Western travelers and tend to highlight things that are unique from an outside perspective. My local guides have not traveled outside of their countries, so they lack the perspective to make cross cultural comparisons. Sometimes things I find really interesting strike them as banal- they are so used to the paintings / songs / traditions that they don't find them notable. Also guide books usually give information on sensitive issues (like religion) that might not always be appropriate to ask a local. I have found my local guides invaluable and crucial to making me feel safe, but I'm not giving up Lonely Planet!