The Tattoo Encyclopedia : A Guide to Choosing Your Tattoo (ISBN 0743223292)

The Mark of Cain:
The Mark of Cain The pub, the bar, the old watering hole: it's where all the animals gather at the end of the day, but that also includes the predators. I met a gal with the nickname of "Lou". Lou challenged me to arm wrestle and beat me two out of three, and me being a weightlifter and wrestler in high school. But in all fairness, I was distracted by the tattoos of bleeding skulls and naked women rippling down her biceps. Tattooing is becoming much more commonplace and mainstream in today's society. It used to be that very few women got tattoos. Those that did were the exception and usually a touch eccentric and rebellious, not to mention being able to hold their liquor. All that changed in the late 80's when tattooing became much more socially acceptable, largely due to the many celebrities who publically sported tattoos. In the fall of 2006, a study was completed by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, which found that 24% of Americans who were between the ages of 18 and 50 had a tattoo. This is almost one in four people in the United States, including women. Throughout human history, we have deliberately and permanently marked our skin. Tattoos have served as rites of passage, marks of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations of bravery, punishment, talismans of protection, to identify oneself with a particular group or gang, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts. Today, most people choose to be tattooed for cosmetic and sentimental reasons. No matter the reason - tattoos are forms of expression that carry meaning. Perhaps you are thinking of getting a tattoo like my drinking buddy "Lou", and you don't know where to start. I recommend checking out The Tattoo Encyclopedia: A Guide To Choosing Your Tattoo by Terisa Green with illustrations by Greg James. This illustrated reference book has entries on the origins and meanings of nearly one thousand tattoo symbols that can serve as your guide for choosing a personally significant tattoo. For people contemplating a tattoo, the choices can be overwhelming. Do you get a tiger, a dragon, or is a 13 1/2* better suited for your current situation? Maybe a butterfly, flower, or cartoon character is more your style. Tattoos can be rich in symbolism or whimsical fashion statements. The Tattoo Encyclopedia presents concise descriptions of symbols both common and unusual, and provides information on their historic, religious, and cultural significance. Most people and most cultures do associate tattoos with some deeper meaning. They can be an outward sign of inner transformation, an appeal to the forces of fortune, or a declaration of love, loyalty, or sometimes even hatred. They are reminders of events both grim and uplifting -- a glimpse into our past and the events and experiences that have shaped us. I'm thinking of getting a tattoo of the Phoenix, the mythological bird that rises from the ashes. I know I can beat "Lou", and I'm going to challenge her to a rematch. Right after I pay for the next round...

A good start, though, not much use:
I had previusly bought and read Ink, from the same author (book that I highly recomend for people new to tattoing like me) and I was thrill to receive this book, though, I must admit, at lest it gives you some structure to determine a bit closely what you want, but the collection itself is not as big as I would have liked, and most of them you can see them on any tattoo shop.

Worth re-buying:
I loaned this book to a friend, and she kept it when she moved. It is worth re-purchasing because it gives some meaning to some of the designs out there. While not all of the descriptions are useful, and the drawings included are not at all what I would want permanently on me, I have used the explanations as a springboard for some of my more meaningful pieces. It's worth checking out if you want to know about more obscure designs.

Informative, Wish it was Larger!:
This is a great book for anyone looking to get a tattoo. It covers all the basics of symbolism of major images and themes seen in tattoos. It has a lot of entries, but I wish there was more in-depth entries! At least they give a good over-view of each entry so you could look up more about it on your own. Not as many pictures as I would like - but its an inexpensive book so really I can't complain!

Great Ideas:
If your thinking about getting a tattoo but don't know where to begin this is the book for you. Everything has a meaning or sometimes several. Find out what the symbols, animals, and flowers all mean. Genie - Change Bomb - Strength A great book you will find yourself refering back to several times.