I still hear this a lot. Well, it just aint’ true. Case in point — as I was about to enter a local pizzeria the other night to come upon this person, book in hand (our New Smyrna Beach yellow pages, not the Telco book) locked in an intense discussion with what sounded like a sibling, providing them with a list local service providers they should be contacting them.
Since I didn’t want to be obvious what I was doing the picture was taken from the other side of the parking lot. And yes, that appears to be an iPhone in his hand.
Yes, the internet and mobile technology have become a big part of our lives. Heck I walk around with 2 iPhones (story for another day). But if you want to find it fast, if you want to be able to differentiate between businesses especially in a category/heading where you are not an expert, and you want a local business, nothing is quicker that a print Yellow Pages
YP Talk - The Voice of the Yellow Pages Industry 
How do you search fast in these 200 pages booklet
The headings are sorted alphabetically and have step-down letter tabs on the spine. With even moderate dexterity you can find the heading you want in less than 30 seconds with no typing, no internet connection, and no spam/virus protection needed.
I know of a Phone Book in a midsize city in the Midwest that distributes less than 300,000 copies, generates over $10 million to the publisher. Ads with tracking numbers show a 28% INCREASE in calls from the Yellow Pages nationwide between 2010 and 2013. I would say they are far from dead.