Can I just read it?

[LeBurns]

So some of the Snow Globe books are located in areas where you just can not take the book as there's an NPC right next to it, and it's marked as owned, so taking it is stealing. Is there not a way to just look at a book, to get the snow globe location, and not take the book? Just seems odd to get arrested for just looking at a book. I don't even want to own the thing.

[kdodds]

LOL. Hate to say it, but "git gud" sort of applies. If you're talking about, say, the one at Hopetech, you can swipe it just fine (also the Coe book) as long as you play your cards right. Instead of thinking of the mechanic as a purely true representation of what you're doing, see the crouch, which is just a visualization for the player, see it as hiding, but also trying to be inconspicuous, and "hidden" as also meaning "unnoticed". If you RP it that way instead of thinking your toon is waddling around, how to do it becomes a LOT easier. I just stole both of the books mentioned this weekend doing the Rangers quest, before the office is "cleared". I went back after we (me and the other Ranger) left and only the bodyguard was there. She's less attentive when Ron's not there. I imagine this is one of those little, purposeful, game design aspects that go unnoticed by most. But leaving that opportunity open to the player is brilliant. You can sometimes grab the Coe book while Ron is still there (I actually did), but the LA location book isn't as easy to conceal your swiping it.

[m0rstar]

To actually answer your question...no, there's no way to do it without stealing it. Heck, you can't even pick up an object flagged like that to move it somewhere else without setting off alarms all over the planet. It's annoying for sure.

[LeBurns]

Weird thing is, I tried to move the book off of Hope's desk with a trash can. The book wouldn't move, it was stuck to the desk. Then while doing that (never grabbed the book) the alarms went off and Sarah who was with me shouted "This is murder!" and everyone started to shoot at me. Well no one was dead, and the book never left the table, so I'm not sure what happened there.

Another book that's similar is the one on the UC Presidents desk, though if you do the Vanguard quests you'll have an opportunity to go in there without her present.

I would prefer just not stealing the books, just having a 'view' option.

PS - Though to be honest without a proper way to display the globes (sure something will pop up in the Creations store eventually) there isn't a lot to do with them. Placing them manually is still a work in frustration.