Childbirthing class? Please read description

I'm going to be a first time mom, but my fiance has experience with newborns/babies. I was planning on taking a Childbirthing class with him, but he keeps saying it is a waste of money and in the end won't help. Being new to all this I like the idea of taking a class. He says the baby books will basically do the same thing and that hanging out with my friend who recently had a baby would be more beneficial to get hands on experience. Idk what to do.

Who here has taken classes? Did you find it helpful? Were baby books equivelent?