The Tattoo Encyclopedia : A Guide to Choosing Your Tattoo

From Publishers Weekly
Skipping the technical details of how to get a tattoo, Green's catalog delves into the fascinating realm of why people get tattoos and what images they choose. After an introduction sketching the history of skin art, Green, an archaeologist and UCLA research associate, launches into an alphabetical encyclopedia with a collection of common tattoo symbols under each letter. She offers an illustration of the symbols and describes the meaning and symbolism behind each. For example, a hammer suggests "might, activity, and brute force." The book also explains more obscure tattoos, such as the number 13, which stands for the thirteenth letter of the alphabet (M) and is sometimes used in lieu of a marijuana leaf; and a sunflower, which represents constancy. Green covers some 800 images, from acorn ("an ancient representation of life and birth") to Zuni fetish (a popular Native American symbol).
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
... a book that should be in every tattoo shop on the planet. It's an easy-to-use, A-Z reference guide ... -- Skin & Ink Magazine, March, 2004

... will not only provide an invaluable tool to artists and collectors alike, it's also a great read ... -- Tattoo Revue Magazine, Issue #114

Guilty pleasure. -- Kansas City Star, August 17, 2003

Looking for that perfect gift for your teenage son or daughter - that free-spirited, be-myself, make-a-statement child ...? Voila. -- St. Louis Post Dispatch, August 21, 2003

… useful resource for anyone seriously contemplating a tattoo … interesting, well-written treatment on the meaning of commonly used symbols. -- Netsurfer Books

See all Editorial Reviews