Never mind that in the case of many artists, that's not the case. And never mind that even if it WERE true for music publishers, it's still stealing. Books are more portable, less hassle. You can dog-ear them if you want. They smell good.
Books are far more lovable, portable and bendable than a computer screen.
And I say that as a computer enthusiast. It would be nice, after all, to believe that we live in a world where honesty is the prevailing virtue of the overwhelming majority. Thousands of years of history ought to teach us better, however. People cheat when they can. If that weren't so sad, it would almost qualify as King material.