I don't think Lamar would disagree that going into the field is more valuable than any book or seminar. In fact, that's pretty much where all of the sales strategies we use are battle-tested and refined. As a startup, in many cases we've opted to hire someone without the immediate skillset (out of college) but who has potential to succeed. We need a common vocabulary, a common set of expectations, and a knowledge base to work from.

Books like this one are the net, not the trapeze act.