Been awhile since last FO so prob just forgot this, and since FO4 has essentially moved skills into perks - I'm having a brain lock at moment re: what happens when I read non-SPECIAL stat boosting skill books.

For example, found a U.S. Covert Ops Manual - message on pickup stated something about stealth getting better, as per common sense of what title of book suggests.

But for life of me, I can't figure out how I can see these boost effects?

A SPECIAL stat increase I can see. And I can see obviously all the perks and levels in each perk I have.

But right now I have not taken the Sneak perk in Agility line, and in FO4 there is no Sneak skill on character screen with numeric value like in prior FO game.

What am I missing?

A) what do these skill increase books do?

How do I see what skills I have boosted if these books do indeed help certain skills?

C) And for this example - since I have no sneak perk, does the Covert Ops manual still apply and raise my generic 'hidden' sneak skill that has no numeric value on char pane?

That may show up under the Perk effects section of your Pip-Boy. I'd check there. And I would imagine that the Spec Ops Training Manual would be separate from the Sneak peek, so either you get your Sneak boost from the magazines, level up the perk, or both. Magazines are free, but have to be found, so you'd have to specifically go after them, and that might take you into areas you aren't ready for yet. Leveling the perk doesn't require you to find anything, but higher levels are level-gated. There are benefits and drawbacks to either.

Check your perks tab under stats. I have found two of these books a barbarian one and a tesla science one. It tells you there what they do e.g. The tesla one gives me +5 crit on energy weapons.

Ahhhh, I see now.

Ok, kinda feel dumb I missed it but glad it's there to see and check.

Essentially, the 'books' are 'perks on demand' that you pickup. Because for the Covert Operations book for example, after I read it, I now have this 'perk' listed next to the official perks I see in normal perk tree like Gun Nut, Scrapper, etc.

The official perks have the star with filled in number showing how far along in that perk I am, and the skill book 'perks' are listed in identical manner.

For Covert Operations it doesn't list a numeric value, just stars with generic description of more difficult to detect while sneaking - whereas some skill book 'perks' like Barbarian shows both stars as well as desc that says Critical Hots with unarmed and melee do +5% damage.

Very, very small complaint but wish they were consistent either way with these skill book 'stars' - for Covert Ops display it like Barbarian and actually show the numeric value each star you increase represents, or just leave if vague. But making some skills vague and some explicit is just poor design (although a really minor gripe to be sure)

Lot of unfilled stars, better get cracking to find more books.