Hello all.

If you're here, it may be because you've seen guides for this achievement that don't seem to work correctly. That may be due to the fact that the original version of Wasteland 2 (pre Director's Cut) had the same achievement but with the lore placed in different locations. As a result, this requires a different guide for the achievement when playing the Director's Cut and older guides may be giving you outdated information. Some of the lore locations are the same as in the older version of the game but some are not.

Let's start by making it clear that lore isn't entirely plentiful in the game. If you want this achievement, you really want to strive for every piece of lore you can get your hands on. Lore appears in two parts of the game. The first section of the game (Arizona) makes a large bulk of lore available to you. Later in the game when you move to California, you lose the ability to return to Arizona. If you haven't gathered enough lore beforehand, you won't get a chance to go back and get it before the end of the game. This makes collecting lore in Arizona extremely important. While there are more than 45 books, there are only 1 or 2 more.

If you choose to save Highpool instead of the Ag Center, two books from the Ag Center will not be available. Conversely, if you choose to save the Ag Center, two books from Highpool will not be available to you, so it doesn't really matter which one you pick.

Perception and Toaster Repair are issues when dealing with this achievement. Some pieces can't be found unless you have a certain level of Perception. Areas where this is problematic include Ag Center, where you need 4 Perception to see one piece and in Silo 7 where you may need 7 Perception to find another. After dealing with the nuke at Silo 7, you'll need a Toaster Repair skill of 6 or 7 to open a specific toaster. For this reason, bringing Ralphy along as a companion might be helpful for anybody who isn't already investing into Toaster Repair on an existing character.

This information is based on forum posts from players who have gone through the game using the old lore location list and found out where changes have taken place. Some of what appears below may still be incorrectly based on the previous lists. If you find something below has changed and has a different location, please feel free to add a comment and I will make changes to the guide as required. If you are playing the original vanilla version of the game, this list will be largely useless to you and you should find a similar guide in the community area for that version of the game.

These are the 35 lore entries available to you in Arizona. There are 37 in total but 2 are unavailable to you as a result of choosing to save either Highpool or the Ag Center. Again, keep in mind that if you do not collect these before moving on to California, you cannot go back to get them. While you do return to Arizona after California, you will only have access to a few rooms in Ranger Citadel and will not be able to collect anything in Arizona that you missed.

• Anger Management for Angry Managers: Drops as loot on bodies from a fight near Cactus Henge. (Prison)
  
• Blood-Stained Journal: Dead body just North of the turret, in the NorthWest corner of the map. (Damonta)
  
• Double Six tragedy report: Crate in Tinker's hangar; or laying on a box in Sierra Madre plane in Silo 7 (find with Perception 7 or bring Ray Baychowski from Damonta). This gets handed in at Ranger Citadel, so make sure you read it before handing it in or there's no way to get it back. (Silo 7)
  
• Farmer's Diary Part 1: Dead body near entrance. (Prison - Happy Valley)
  
• Farmer's Diary Part 2: Chest just SouthEast of William Brown's farm. (Prison - Happy Valley)
  
• Farmer's Diary Part 3: Dresser next to Anna (the woman who is dying and calling out on the radio). (Prison - Happy Valley)
  
• Farmer's Diary Part 4: Chest at Auwerter Farm near the red kennel. (Prison)
  
• Farmer's Diary Part 5: Inside Danforth's compound, deep in the Prison zone. It's in a locked chest about halfway through the compound. Requires finishing Damonta and coming back with methods to access Danforth's compound. Probably the last one you'll get before leaving Arizona. (Prison)
  
• Garden Journal: Mound in north west; Perception 4 required in order to see the mound. One of two books from the Ag Center that are unavailable if you choose to save Highpool. (Ag Center - West Field)
  
• History of the Ag Center Part 1: Matt Forestal's safe. If you saved Highpool, it will be on the corpse of Doctor Larsen. (Ag Center - Lab Area)
  
• History of the Ag Center Part 2: Shelf in the room with Skinner. If you saved Highpool, it will be on the corpse of Doctor Larsen. (Ag Center - Mushroom Caves in Basement)
  
• History of the Ag Center Part 3: Shelf in the house with the trapped researcher, in the room next to where you first enter the East Field. If you saved Highpool, it will be on the corpse of Doctor Larsen. (Ag Center - East Field)
  
• History of the Ag Center Part 4: Shelf in locked room behind heavy growth on SouthEast end of map. If you saved Highpool, it will be on the corpse of Doctor Larsen. (Ag Center - East Field)
  
• Intelligence Report Part 1: Shelf near Cartographer Thrasher. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• Intelligence Report Part 2: Shelf in the Museum. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• KPOW playlist for Monday July 21st: Refrigerator in Werewolf Wally's station. (Damonta)
  
• Lab Journal: Rose's Desk - the one she has in her inventory doesn't count. One of two books from the Ag Center that are unavailable if you choose to save Highpool. (Ag Center - Central Complex)
  
• Memories of My Time in the Rangers Part 1: Shelf in Vargas's Office. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• Memories of My Time in the Rangers Part 2: Shelf in Vargas's Office. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• Memories of My Time in the Rangers Part 3: Shelf in the Museum. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• The Ballad of Bobby and Rex: Shelf in Jesse-Bell's house. One of two books from Highpool that are unavailable if you choose to save the Ag Center. (Highpool)
  
• The Flame Deluge Canticle: Toaster in Temple of Titan. This only appears after you have dealt with the nuke at Silo 7. When you leave the Temple of Titan zone, you'll see it on the way out, either at the start of the Temple zone (if you sided with DBM) or inside the Canyon of Titan as you leave the Temple (if you sided with the monks). This will require having a party member that has Toaster Repair up to 6 or 7. (Temple of Titan or Canyon of Titan, depending on plot choices)
  
• The History of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base: Corpse in the West, just South of the plane where you find Ray and North of the motel where Jill is. (Damonta)
  
• The History of the Desert Rangers Part 1: Shelf in the Museum. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• The History of the Desert Rangers Part 2: Shelf in the Museum. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• The History of the Desert Rangers Part 3: Shelf near Cartographer Thrasher. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• The History of the Desert Rangers Part 4: Erik Tidemann gives you this after you sell him a certain number of pain killers. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• The History of the Desert Rangers Part 5: Shelf in the Museum. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• The History of the Desert Rangers Part 6: Shelf near Cartographer Thrasher. (Ranger Citadel)
  
• The Legend of the Red Ryder: Shelf in the town hall. One of two books from Highpool that are unavailable if you choose to save the Ag Center. (Highpool)
  
• The Servants of Titan Part 1: On a bookshelf to the right of some monks guarding an entrance to the underground. (Canyon of Titan)
  
• The Servants of Titan Part 2: On a bookshelf to the right of some monks guarding an entrance to the underground. (Canyon of Titan)
  
• The Servants of Titan Part 3: On a bookshelf to the left of some monks guarding an entrance to the underground. (Canyon of Titan)
  
• The Story of John Henry Part 1: Bookshelf in Meeting Hall. (Rail Nomads)
  
• The Story of John Henry Part 2: Bookshelf in Engineer's House. (Rail Nomads)
  
• The Story of John Henry Part 3: Bookshelf in Casey James' Yurt. (Rail Nomads)
  
• Your Friend the Great Glow: Locked chest in camp with Honey Badgers and Tom's dead wife. (Canyon of Titan)

Again, if you choose to save Highpool instead of the Ag Center, two books from the Ag Center will not be available. Conversely, if you choose to save the Ag Center, two books from Highpool will not be available to you, so it doesn't really matter which one you pick.

There are also some books that (for me at least) when read, popped up a Steam achievement window saying they were contributing to the achievement but were not actually increasing the count on that achievement, meaning they really do nothing at all. This is probably a bug that will get ironed out at some point.

• Ag Center Airlock Codes: in Rose's inventory. (Ag Center - Central Complex)
  
• Engineer's Note. (Rail Nomads - Engineer's House)

There are 12 pieces of lore in California. It is highly advised that when Brother Thomas becomes available in Santa Fe, you invite him into your party and read the lore in his inventory, even if you have no intention of keeping him in your party. His lore can also be found in The Bastion but invitiing him into the party to briefly read his collection is a lot easier.

One of these lore entries is a random encounter but that event is fairly easy to access. That encounter, called "Mannerites on Nearby Rooftops" is triggered by moving repeatedly between Angel Oracle and Hollywood and may require several trips between those two locations before it appears. Having a high Outdoorsman skill level shouldn't make this encounter harder to find. Rather, it will only make the encounter easier to run from.

• A Brief History of the Watts Tower: Shelf in the Mayor's office. (Rodia)
  
• Blood-Stained Journal: On a corpse. Accessing this area will require rad suits that operate at level 6. (Mysterious Shrine (SouthWest))
  
• Stoll's Journal: Loot from random wasteland encounter. When encountered, the event is called "Mannerites on Nearby Rooftops". Walk between Hollywood and Angel Oracle to trigger this. (Wasteland encounter between Angel Oracle and Hollywood)
  
• The Gospel According to Matthias: SouthWest corner, in a locker by the wall. (Seal Beach - New Citadel)
  
• The Griffith Observatory: A History: Shelf in Laban's Rest. (Los Feliz)
  
• The Story of Samson Part 1: In the inventory of Brother Thomas (recruitable in Sante Fe after finishing Angel Oracle) or in the Bastion. (Santa Fe / The Bastion)
  
• The Story of Samson Part 2: In the inventory of Brother Thomas (recruitable in Sante Fe after finishing Angel Oracle) or in the Bastion. (Santa Fe / The Bastion)
  
• The Story of Samson Part 3: In the inventory of Brother Thomas (recruitable in Sante Fe after finishing Angel Oracle) or in the Bastion. (Santa Fe / The Bastion)
  
• The Story of Samson Part 4: In the inventory of Brother Thomas (recruitable in Sante Fe after finishing Angel Oracle) or in the Bastion. (Santa Fe / The Bastion)
  
• The Ten Commandments of James King: Near the tent in the Cemetary. (Hollywood)
  
• Welcome to Hollywood!: On the road, right as you enter the city. (Hollywood)
  
• Your Golden Future: SouthWest of the Water Source inside a crate. (Seal Beach)

As with Arizona, there were books that popped up a Steam achievement window saying they contributed to the achievement but didn't actually increase the count, meaning that it really does nothing at all.

• Note From Malachi: On a corpse in the steam vents section. (Angel Oracle)
  
• Swifty's Orderbook: Found during normal quest progression and counts as a quest item. (Hollywood)

This guide wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the people that did work before me to go through the game and find out where things have changed. Specifically I'd like to give a lot of credit to arcana75, newvegas46112, and teshia (all from the Inxile forums for Wasteland 2) for doing their best to sort this list out. I'd also like to thank irthinker, who wrote the original communtiy guide for this achievement but for the vanilla version of the game.