If you don't have the money, you don't have the money. IMHO I'd rather have people without the means pirate books rather than go without. (Though the library is usually an option.)
But if you do have the means, drop the author some bucks for their work. And I can assure you, it's a lot of work. My tip jar doesn't get a lot of action, but when it does, I'm very appreciative. Here's someone who appreciated the work enough to drop me a few dollars for my labors when they didn't even have to.
The above is another example I appreciate: the authors charge for physical copies and complete documents but generally make the work content available for free. I've bought a physical copy in that case because I really valued the work.
What I am hearing is that while you like to read, you do not feel like authors bring enough value to the table for you to actually reward them for their work.
I much prefer reading on paper, something about screens never allow me to get into a deeper state that reading books take me to.
I read a lot on my old Kindles, had a gen 1 and gen 2, it was easier than on a computer but still not the same experience as a book. Years later I had read many books on Kindle that I'd mention to people and... I could never let them borrow them, having physical copies also lets you share your favourite books to people you like.
I agree with the cognitive premise unfortunately. But even so, I start to speculate about solving this by DIY book printing, or advances in digital reading technology (mostly I'm interested in the latter, for example, means of "spatializing" the flat screen experience, and reducing latency to a minimum)
But if you do have the means, drop the author some bucks for their work. And I can assure you, it's a lot of work. My tip jar doesn't get a lot of action, but when it does, I'm very appreciative. Here's someone who appreciated the work enough to drop me a few dollars for my labors when they didn't even have to.