Ink: The Not-Just-Skin-Deep Guide to Getting a Tattoo Terisa Green, NAL Trade Publishers Terisa Green, who holds a Ph.D in archaeology and a Bachelor of Science degree in physics, worked as an aerospace engineer for 11 years before becoming a full-time author, a regular columnist for "Skin & Ink" magazine and a widely recognized authority on the symbolism of tattoos throughout the world's ancient cultures. Her in-depth knowledge of the history of tattooing as well as the technical and artistic realities of modern-day tattooing makes her book a really interesting and useful read -- particularly for those who are thinking of getting their first tattoo. This is a fact-packed handbook for the novice who is determined to be a well-informed customer capable of intelligently picking a meaningful tattoo design as well as a safe and responsible tattoo shop to perform the work. Click for current discount and availability

Bushido : Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo Takahiro Kitamura and Katie M. Kitamura, Schiffer Publishing This gorgeous book delves into the elusive world of traditional Japanese tattooing. The Samurai spirit, Bushido, is an integral component of Japanese tattooing that is traced through the imagery and interpersonal dynamics of this veiled subculture. The eloquent text is based largely on Takahiro Kitamuras experiences as client and student of the famed Japanese tattoo master, Horiyoshi III. Over 200 beautiful photos by Jai Tanju capture the breathtaking tattoo artistry of Horiyoshi III. Five original, unpublished prints by Horiyoshi III, like those in his acclaimed book, 100 Demons of Horiyoshi III, are included here. Bushido: Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo is certain to fascinate everyone with an interest in tattoo culture. Takahiro Kitamura, who tattoos as Horitaka, currently resides and works in California. Katie Kitamura is pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of London. Jai Tanju is a photographer in San Jose, California. Bushido : Click for current discount and availability

Advanced Tattoo Art (How-To Secrets from the Masters) Doug Mitchel, Wolfgang Publications Doug Mitchel is a magazine writer and photographer who has produced nineteen books and is a regular contributor to publications including "American Iron" and "Barnett's Motorcycle Showcase." His book "Advanced Tattoo Art" takes the reader inside the shops of ten well-known and very experienced artists spread across the country. Detailed photo sequences follow each artist through one project, from the customer's concept to the finished and colorful design. Both a how-to book and a photo-intense look at the world or tattoos, Advanced Tattoo Art includes interviews with the artists explaining not only how they do what they do, but why the designs they use are so meaningful to their customers. Click for current discount and availability

The Tattoo Encyclopedia : A Guide to Choosing Your Tattoo Terisa Green with Illustrations by Greg James This book is not about the technicalities of getting a tattoo but rather about the meaning and symbolisms of tattoo imagery. It's designed as a thinking tool for people who want to do more than just have a standard piece of "flash" art etched into their skin. It is organized in a convenient A-to-Z format, cross-referenced, indexed by category, and illustrated with three hundred samples of authentic tattoo line art. It features an amazing array of images ranging from ancient Buddhist and Chinese designs to those sported by twenty-first-century bikers. The definition of each symbol includes the widely accepted interpretation based on historical fact and cultural sources, as well as various interpretations that have developed across different cultures and time periods. Whether choosing a personally significant tattoo, wanting to learn more about a symbol, or simply being interested in tattoos as a form of art and body decoration, it's a reference work that will enable readers to discover the richness of tattoo culture. Click for current discount and availability

The Body Art Book: A Complete, Illustrated Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Other Body Modification Jean-Chris Miller, Berkley Publishing Group This illustrated work is aimed at anyone who wants a quick, general understanding the colorful and increasingly complex world of body modification. In workman-like prose and pictures, the author explains the general techniques and latest practices in tattooing and piercings. The work is aimed at those who want a light but total overview, making it suitable as a first read on the subject. Click for current discount and availability

The Art and Science of Modern Tattooing Erick Alayon First thing to be said about this book is that its minimalist, inelegant cover design belies the useful technical information contained within. New York tattoo artist Erick Alayon takes the reader inside the tattoo business in a highly-detailed reference work aimed at anyone who wants to understand the daily nuts and bolts procedures and practices of professional tattooing. It covers covers everything about technique and equipment, down to the specifics of tattoo gun springs, coils, frames and related mechanical issues. Click for current discount and availability

The Total Tattoo Book Amy Krakow, Warner Books Researched and written by a professional journalist, this book is one of the most popular books about tattooing ever published in the U.S. It provides a total picture of the subject, including a history of the evolution of tattooing as a business as well as a social issue from the 1800s to the present. With its detailed explanations about how a tattooing studio works as well as a lexicon of tattoo lingo, it serves as a primer and reference work for anyone who wants to understand the techniques and technologies of tattoo body art. Its other sections range from the Consumer Guide-like "How to Choose a Good Tattooer," to "The Legal and Forensic Issues" of tattooing. If you're thinking about getting into the tattoo business; thinking about getting your first tattoo; or are a reporter assigned to write about tattooing for the first time, this is a great book. Click for current discount and availability

Bodies of Inscription: A Cultural History of the Modern Tattoo Community Margo Demello, Duke University Press This book provides a panoramic look at the history tattooing with a particular emphasis on today's tattoo enthusiasts. Written according to academic disciplines and designed to provide a clear picture of how the demographics of tattoo customers have changed in America, Demello is encyclopedic in her scope. She provides a highly detailed picture of the rapidly changing socio-economic status of tattooing in the United States. Click for current discount and availability

The Japanese Tattoo Photography and Text by Sandi Fellman, Introduction by D.M. Thomas, Abbeville Press, Inc. As lush as the subject it celebrates, this 112-page coffee table book is a visually spectacular documentation of some of the finest contemporary tattooing by Japanese master artists. An art book with full color, full-page photos of the highest quality, it provides close-up detail of the tapestry-like tattoo designs for which Japan is world famous. It largely focuses on the full-body tattoo art works that celebrate the same sort of carp, breaking waves, dragons, flowers, birds, and figures as found in Japanese silk and screen paintings. A book of sumptuous beauty that now serves as an inspiration and source of ideas for many of America's tattoo artists. Click for current discount and availability

Bodies of Subversion, Second Edition: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo Margot Mifflin, Juno Books Written by an author whose work regularly appears in the New York Times, Ms. magazine, Elle magazine and Entertainment Weekly, this is a serious and voluminously illustrated study of the feminist implications and social history of tattooing and women. Beginning with the tattooed female "freaks" who appeared in circus sideshows of the late 1800s, it provides a rich history of the women who worked as tattoo artists as well as the women who have had themselves tattooed from then until the present. The history is presented in both fast-paced narrative text as well as photographs, many of which are rare and never before published. 183 pages. Fully Indexed. Click for current discount and availability

The New Tattoo Victoria Lautman and Vicki Berndt, Abbeville Press This coffee table book is written by National Public Radio art critic Victoria Lautman and photographed by Vicki Berndt. In 120 pages of full-color photography it provides an organized visual tour of the various categories of high-art tattooing currently being done throughout America. These include tribal, painterly, fantasy, neo-traditional and other tattoo styles. The chapters on tribal designs are comprehensive and visually the most striking. The narrative throughout the book provides a succinct sense of the history and evolution of the tattoo arts and a final chapter entitled, "The Tattoo Process: Questions and Answers" is designed to orient persons considering the selection and purchase of their first tattoo. Fully indexed. Click for current discount and availability

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