I'm interested to hear the case against books. Most coaches and chess teachers recommend books.
Is it Worth Reading Chess Books?
Here is a very interesting comment by a grandmaster before computers were available and I must say that I was surprised. His take on Hikaru Nakamura probably rings true. Start playing at the 22:45 mark.
There are books that are covered on youtube (so you don't have to read them). One example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eTB7oHeRgM&list=PLUrgfsyInqNa1S4i8DsGJwzx1Uhn2AqlT