Skill Books are books that can be used to increase any of your skills instantly. The first time you read a given skill book, your level in the associated skill will be permanently increased by one point. You do not actually have to read the entire book—simply opening the book and immediately closing it again is sufficient. Note that some of these books list a class rather than an individual skill tree. For these books, if you are a member of that class, it will raise all three of your skill ranks for that class. Otherwise, it will not raise any skills.
When you pick up a skill book, you automatically start to read it, and therefore you immediately obtain the skill bonus. If you find an additional copy of a skill book that you have already read, you will not receive any skill bonus for reading the additional copy.
82 skill books can be found all across Tamriel, covering all of the available skills. Skill books are also classed as a collection that make up the Eidetic Memory.
There are 83 books in the Skill Books Eidetic Memory collection.
| Title | Skill | Author | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Grifter's Apology |
One Hand and Shield | Anonymous | A former con-artist's advice | |
| A Hero's Weapon |
Two Handed | Lizabet Delrusc | A panegyric to the greatsword | |
| A Hypothetical Treachery, Part 1 |
Destruction Staff | Anthil Morvir | A One Act Play | |
| A New Recipe? |
Provisioning | A controversial culinary experiment | ||
| A Request for Relief |
Enchanting | Defessus Magister | An enchanter's plea regarding manufactured runestones and the collapse of the enchanting market | |
| Advances in Lockpicking |
Nightblade | An experienced thief summarizes the intricacies of lockpicking | ||
| Ahzidal's Descent |
Enchanting | Halund Greycloak | The tale of a powerful enchanter's descent into madness | |
| Alchemy Practicum |
Alchemy | Defessus Lector | A reminder on the proper way to create new potions | |
| Alchemy: Discovering Traits |
Alchemy | Defessus Lector | A guide to basic alchemy | |
| An Archer's Archive |
Bow | Sabarid the Seeker | The far-ranging travels of a student of archery | |
| Ardent Flame: Draconic or Endemic? |
Dragonknight | Gabrielle Benele | ||
| Armor of Myth and Legend |
Heavy Armor | Aurelienne Dulroi | Famous (and possibly fictional) armors | |
| Aura of the Righteous |
Templar | Ptolus the Bright, Resolute of Stendarr | ||
| Azarrid's Race |
Medium Armor | The tale of a group of adventurers and their race to claim a priceless gemstone | ||
| Baandari Mutton Stew |
Provisioning | A recipe for stew | ||
| Bliss |
Bow | |||
| Bowyer and Fletcher |
Woodworking | Hoary Durotzel, the Wood Butcher of Ska'vyn | A lesson on the various bow types | |
| Call to the Faithful |
Light Armor | Prudentia Blaesus | A call to religious followers | |
| Cantillon's Correspondence |
Destruction Staff | Margaux Cantillon | A letter from a renown Restoration healer regarding a gifted staff | |
| Ceryolminwe's Translation |
Two Handed | Ceryolminwe | A study of an ancient Ayleid text | |
| Chronicles of Ehtelar, Vol. 1 |
Clothing | A tale of two Alik'r caravaneers and their ill-fated trek into an Ayleid ruin | ||
| Clothier: Light Armor Basics |
Clothing | Lady Eloisse, Fifth Countess Manteau | A brief description of light armor | |
| Cooking Mastery, The Easy Way |
Provisioning | The Malachite Chef | A guide to easy cooking | |
| Crush, Slash, Bash, and Stab |
Dual Wield | Weapon-master Grutsug | A warrior's musing on various combat styles | |
| Dark Magic: Three Pretexts |
Sorcerer | The Aureate Serpent | A rebuttal addressing the criticism against Dark Magic | |
| Destruction or Distraction |
Destruction Staff | Humius Acidinus | A criticism against the trend of excessive intellectualism in magical study | |
| Discomforts of War |
Medium Armor | Robier Douare, Alchemist | Alchemical advice to protect against common health threats | |
| Enigma of the Runestones |
Enchanting | Telenger the Artificer | On the runestones of Tamriel | |
| Father of the Niben, Fragment One |
Bow | Florin Jaliil | Fragment of a journal of Topal the Pilot, translated and with commentary | |
| Folly in Fixation |
Heavy Armor | Estiraamo | An essay extolling the virtues of mastering both spell and sword | |
| Forged in the Heart of Mundus |
Dragonknight | The Dragonsmith of Bruma | Notes on the abilities granted unto the Children of the Mundus | |
| Fundaments of Alchemy |
Alchemy | Alyandon Mathierry | A fundamental primer on Alchemy | |
| Glinting Talons |
Dual Wield | Ablahar at-Tanul | An essay surrounding Ra Gada fighting styles and philosophy | |
| Glyphs and Enchantment |
Enchanting | Sanessalmo of Glister Vale | A brief overview of enchanting glyphs and runestones | |
| Heavy Armor Forging |
Heavy Armor | Sven Two-Hammers | A guide to creating Heavy Armor | |
| Heavy Armor: A Forge-Wife's Advice |
Blacksmithing | Garshag gra-Sharkub | How to get started smithing | |
| How to Win a Fight |
Two Handed | Caelius Imbrex | A concise, but primitive, guide on effective fighting techniques | |
| Husks and Bones |
Medium Armor | Sorexius Lentulus | The journal of an enterprising merchant and his experiences in Valenwood | |
| Jornibret's Last Dance |
Light Armor | Song involving men and women's parts | ||
| Journal of Thracius Mento |
Destruction Staff | Thracius Mento | The journal of a priest of the Divines | |
| Legacy of the Dragonguard |
Dragonknight | Kiasa-Veda, the Chronicler of Blades | A history of the Dragonguard | |
| Mace Etiquette |
One Hand and Shield | A warrior's instruction pamphlet on proper mace tactics | ||
| Mazubar-do's Advice |
Dual Wield | Mazubar-do | An essay on fighting and its relationship with dance | |
| Medium Armor: Tannins and Leather |
Clothing | Defessus Lector | ||
| Mora'at's Theory of Lightning |
Sorcerer | Mora'at the Lesser, Wizard of Corinthe | A Mages Guild theory on the inner workings of shock spells | |
| Mythical Beast, Real Powers |
Dragonknight | Drusus Ovicula, Proctor of the Imperial Library | An Imperial scholar's notes on his experience with Dragonknights | |
| Nord Armorers and Armsmen |
Blacksmithing | Notes on Nordic blacksmithing culture and techniques | ||
| Notes on Racial Phylogeny |
Destruction Staff | the Council of Healers, Imperial University | About the similarities and differences between the races of Tamriel | |
| On the Utility of Shock Magic |
Sorcerer | Vanus Galerion | Archmage Galerion's notes on the flexibility of shock magic | |
| One Staff, Many Staves |
Woodworking | Hoary Durotzel, the Wood Butcher of Ska'vyn | A children's guide to staff making | |
| Oshgura's Destruction Journal |
Destruction Staff | Oshgura | An Orcish sorcerer's journal recounting his difficulty learning spells | |
| Precepts of Stendarr |
Destruction Staff | Ptolus the Bright, Resolute of Stendarr | Evangelical doctrine for the God of Mercy and Charity | |
| Principles of Conjuration |
Sorcerer | Corvus Direnni | A brief introduction to the basics of Conjuration magic | |
| Prudence in Practice |
Destruction Staff | Elleraame of Sunhold | Proper magical practice technique | |
| Quotes from the Greats |
Dual Wield | Scaporius Pulex | Words of advice from arena champions | |
| Redoran Cooking Secrets |
Provisioning | How to cook "Crab Meat and Scuttle" and "The Hound and Rat" | ||
| Report: Quality of Recruits |
Light Armor | Captain Lampronius | A military report on the training of new recruits | |
| Rislav the Righteous, Part 1 |
Medium Armor | Sinjin | Heroic tales of Rislav Larich, ancient King of Skingrad | |
| Rituals of the Harmonious Masters |
Templar | Aritanwe of Lillandril | Religious doctrine surrounding Stendarr and the promotion of his healing magic | |
| Saving Your Hide |
One Hand and Shield | Lieutenant Anders Gemane | On the finer points of dagger use | |
| Settling the Debate |
Medium Armor | Ralevyn Nerano | On what type of leather armor to use | |
| Shadow Draining: A Hypothesis |
Nightblade | O Raposa-morcego cintilante | Sobre o efeito mágico de absorver a vida de outro | |
| Smithing: A Worthy Endeavor |
Blacksmithing | Cuinaamo, Great Sage of the Forge | On the merits of smithing | |
| Sorcery is Not Necromancy! |
Sorcerer | Divayth Fyr | A famed wizard's objections to being labeled a necromancer | |
| Sporting Chance |
Bow | |||
| Stendarr's Divine Spear |
Templar | Ptolus the Bright, Resolute of Stendarr | A poem extolling the power of Stendarr's magic | |
| Stepping through Shadows |
Nightblade | the Glimmering Foxbat | On teleportation magic | |
| Sword-Wisdom of Saikhalar |
One Hand and Shield | Advice from a sword master | ||
| The Book of Circles: Forging Maxims |
Blacksmithing | Frandar Hunding | Proverbs on the creation and use of swords | |
| The Chopping Block |
One Hand and Shield | Kajuld Blackfox | A Nord teaches his younger brother how to wield an axe | |
| The Four Abominations |
Templar | Vinicius Imbrex, Archbishop of Chorrol, 1E 1051—1087 | A description of the unnatural enemies of mortals, which are hated by Stendarr | |
| The Friend of All Mortals |
Templar | The Resolute Templar of Ska'vyn | On Stendarr, the God of Mercy and Justice | |
| The Legendary Sancre Tor, 1st Ed. |
Two Handed | Matera Chapel | An attempt to chronicle the rise and fall of Sancre Tor | |
| The Masters' Hall |
Heavy Armor | Unknown | Young and optimistic adventurers seek out a lost ruin in the Jerall Mountains | |
| The Rotwood Enigma |
Heavy Armor | The mystery of a benevolent, silent adventurer | ||
| The Source of the Bone |
Bow | Selalleth | The Death Stories of the Bosmer | |
| The Vanishing Crux |
Destruction Staff | Masura-dra, Sentinel Magister | On the Osseous Crux | |
| To Smite with Dragon Claws |
Dragonknight | Battle Chant of the Intrepid Two Hundred | ||
| Treatise on Metallurgical Anomalies |
Blacksmithing | Ovuld, Master Metallurgist | Introduction to a scholarly treatise on strange metals | |
| Undeniable Truths of Attire |
Light Armor | Elenuume the Impeccable | On proper mage attire | |
| Wulfmare's Guide to Better Thieving |
Nightblade | Wulfmare Shadow-Cloak | A boastful thief discusses the tricks of the trade | |
| Wuunding and Tumult |
Two Handed | Vothel Bethalas | Two legends of Wuunding recorded by Vothel Bethalas | |
| Xil-Go's Spell |
Light Armor | Adzi-Kahz | How an Argonian village fought off slavers from House Dres |
There are also 9 additional books in other Collections that also raise skill levels.
| Title | Skill | Author | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arboreal Architecture |
Woodworking | Cirantille | A description of Bosmeri construction techniques | |
| Confessions of a Bold Alchemist |
Alchemy | Alchemist Aleeto | The musings of an alchemist | |
| Exiled from Exile, Volume 7 |
Dual Wield | Yasra al-Ash'abah | The tale of a man and his daughter's encounter with a cult of Daedra worshippers | |
| Harvest's End |
Enchanting | On the exploits and studies of Chimere Graegyn | ||
| Khajiiti Arms and Armor |
Clothing | A treatise on Khajiiti armaments and armor | ||
| Sep's Kiss |
Alchemy | Instructions on brewing a poison | ||
| Strakes and Futtocks |
Woodworking | Curly Lainlyn, Master Shipwright | ||
| The Year 2920, Vol. 3 |
Clothing | Carlovac Townway | Volume 3 of a historical series about Vivec and the Empire | |
| The Year 2920, Vol. 7 |
Woodworking | Carlovac Townway | Volume 7 of a historical series about Vivec and the Empire |