Piercing-and-Tattoos Books

Works of body art have traditionally reflected rites of passage, served as group identifiers, and made people confirm to a cultural code and social standard outsiders rarely understand, so it's timely that cultural anthropologist John Rush examines different processes and procedures of radical physical alternations in different cultures, from branding to tattooing and self-inflicted pain. Spiritual and social concerns are gathered into a history which is gruesome at times, but always revealing.

I found Rush's research and presentation of information to be extremely interesting and well-presented. However, the real value of this book for me was in the suggestions for dealing with psychic and physical pain.

As I had my own tattoo work done, I used many of Rush's suggestions and techniques on breathing, relaxation, and "embracing the pain."

Prior to getting my tattoo, many of my peers described their own experience with the pain of tattooing in terms of bravery "it didn't hurt at all" or annoyance "it is really irritating."

By properly channeling the pain--rather than fearing, putting up with, or obsessing about it, however, I found the entire tattooing process to be so much more pleasant, profound, and meaningful. I can truly say that I felt serene throughout the entire three-hour experience.

I highly recommend this book for people interested in experiencing tattooing on all levels-the intellectual, the emotional, and the spiritual.

I read numerous books on tattooing prior to my own adventure but Spiritual Tattoo tops them all. Dr. Rush presents some very interesting information about tattooing and scarification in ancient societies, concluding that the behavior is very, very ancient and is probably analogous to marks naturally acquired. Purposes include rites of passage, group identity, and in more recent time, the use of tattoos and scars by governments to mark the body for control purposes. What I found most interesting is the procedure he details for using pain to purge limitations and traumas in history. As our monotheistic religious myths focus on pain and suffering, this work fits right in! I also enjoyed the connection he made between tattooing, yoga, chakras, and spirituality. There also appears to be a great deal of coding in the book, which relates to this book's sequel, The Twelve Gates. For example, in the page headings for Chapter Five, Trauma is spelled Trama--Dr. Rush is saying he "takes U (you) out of your trauma." This is a very readable work that will appeal to a wide audience. I'm looking forward to The Twelve Gates.

As beauty is often said to be in the eye of the beholder, so history, it seems, is in the hand of the chronicler. This rings true of Blake's first book, A Brief History of the Evolution of Body Adornment in Western Culture: Ancient Origins and Today.

The first half of the book contains brief biographies and photo essays of several people Blake has named as heavily influencing the modern Western piercing community, in addition to other lesser-known characters important to his own history. Two early pioneers discussed, both born near the turn of the century, are Ethel Granger and the Great Omi. A thorough section with both images and words from Blake's guru Fakir is presented, followed by tributes to mentor Father Daniel Jensen and Blake's adventurous grandmother, Dr. Naomi Coval. He pays homage to these inspiring people with obvious affection and respect, as they have made a huge impact upon his life. This section has been peppered throughout with archival and artful black and white photographs of the personalities discussed, as well as color pictures from his pioneering grandmother's world travels rescued from her archives. The result is an insightful collection of memoirs, anecdotes, pictures, and quotes that combine to tell the history of body modification in the Western world as it has inspired both the industry in general and the author specifically.

The book switches gears when Blake steps in to tell his own highly personal account of his introduction and growth within the piercing industry. This autobiographical section gives the very casually written perspective of the author as he travels through the early stages of his career as a piercer. Taking credit for many advances and extremes in terms of larger piercings, he discusses freehand piercing and coins the term "tribal surgery" to describe the methods employed by himself and his colleagues.

The second half of the book contains an abridged cross-section of ethnic and historical piercing practices and jewelry from around the world. Most pieces depicted are from Blake's collection in the form of the Nomad Museum in Oregon, while select items from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and other famous museums demonstrate the prevalence of piercing practices and jewelry on all continents throughout the millennia. This section is only a brief introduction and does not delve very deeply into history, as the title suggests, primarily focusing on collectible jewelry that has survived from antiquity - though some contemporary practices and pieces are also shown.

Being quite familiar with cultural body modification practices and ethnic jewelry myself, I was wondering what new information this work would present. Unless one has passed through Bend recently to see the Nomad collections, A Brief History showcases a scrumptious array of ethnic piercing jewelry unpublished until now, cataloged here for posterity. While the anecdotes and chronology presented were primarily a useful review for me, most readers will find this an informative and easy to read introduction to the ethnographic and historic backgrounds that deserve our respect for significantly paving the way to where the practice of body art now stands.

This was another easy read. interesting pictures and great history. I used this book for my college paper.

An essential book for any female pre-teen and teen. At a time when one is going through so many changes and feeling weird and abnormal about their body, a book like this would definitely help ease some of those worries. I know I would've appreciated a book like this when I was younger. I'm 24, and it has even helped me now!

Some people feel that some of the pictures in the book are too graphic, but I feel they're important. It is much better for young girls who worry if they are 'normal' down there to see the realistic pictures in this book, than the airbrushed images of girls online. The author is very open about the images in the book, and it is mentioned in the summary on amazon so it shouldn't come as a surprise.

The only issue I had with this book was that I felt there were a lot of issues touched on but not really discussed. I know it was a matter of space, there is just too much to include. I feel that the author did a great job of including as much as she could and answering a lot of really important questions.

It's about time a book like this became widely available!

Nancy Redd's Body Drama is a good read for young ladies starting puberty to grown women. She covers everything a woman needs to know about her body and how to properly take care of it. It's a fun read, it's not dry and boring so young ladies will grasp it. This book shows ladies that everyone's body is not the same and we need to appreciate and love the body God gave us.

I think that if I'd had this book growing up, I wouldn't hate my body so much. It's easy to read "Body Drama" now and utterly agree with it, but the deep-seated beliefs dominate. I can't help but to think that raising my daughter to have fantastic self-esteem, and then giving her this book when she reaches a certain age, will prevent the cycle of self-hatred from continuing. I wish there was a version for boys, although obviously I realize it's not the same for them. I'm sad for those who give this a low review because they're "offended." Don't you realize the profound change a work like this can effect? Thank you, Nancy Redd, for creating hope for the future even when pasts can't be changed. I am grateful.

I love this book! Girls 14 and older everywhere will find the answer to the number one question of adolescents everywhere - "Am I normal?"

Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues - Right On. What more can I say?

Read it yourself first, so you know what your daughter will be learning - and let her brother check it out too. With all that pornography out there, boys don't have a clue what a "real" woman's body looks like. This will open their eyes in ways they couldn't imagine.

Nancy's practical advice will hit home and having this great book in your sex talks tool bag will only do you and your kids good.

This is a book the female world has been waiting for. As a girl, growing up, did you ever wish there was a book that would just "get real" about girl's body issues? This is a book you would have liked to turn to in those difficult moments. Of course, it's ideal for girls to be able to talk to mothers, other family members, or trusted female mentors about these issues. But where does that leave teen girls that don't have one of the aforementioned in their lives? Nancy Redd, a former Miss America swimsuit winner has written the quintessential book on female adolescent sexuality. Gone are those cheesy pencil drawings with the female anatomy. Redd gets up front and personal with photographs about all parts of the female anatomy. This book has every question you have never read before that a girl might ask.

Problems such as embarrassing smells, zits, breast sizes, and pubic hair are all covered. No issue is too off-limits. This is a book for women only. Yes, I imagine a few horny teenage guys will find it at the library or bookstore and have a thrill, but this book is intended for women.

Just a sample of topics: My vagina smells, I hate the way I look down there, My breasts are too heavy, It hurts to pee, I go poo too much, I have a mustache, I feel fat, I'm addicted to tanning, and the list goes on. There are handy things like how to make a pad with toilet paper. Redd even makes some confessions about some of the topics that readers will appreciate.

And then there is the thing that will really knock your socks off: an entire two page spread of photos of vulvas. When I first saw this, I must admit, I was shocked. But after reading the book, I can see the genius of it. It's not meant to be porn, it's just a safe way for girls to see that not every vagina looks the same. Redd complains that the porn and fashion industries are showing glossy, airbrushed "hairless slits" and that teen girls are thinking that their "package" needs to look similar. She also shares scary stories about surgeries girls are having to make their anatomy look better. It is for this reason that she made the infamous spread.

I am glad this book was written. I am a little sad that the collection development people at my library chose to place this book in adult non-fiction instead of teen non-fiction. Teen girls need this book, and now they will have to walk to a different section to find it. Highly recommended for all libraries.

This book has some incredible photos. it would have been nice to have a bit more description but the photos look great.

Beautifully photographed portraits of wearers of tattoos and body markings in many locations around the world.
A must for the library of anyone interested in the topic.

Ancient Marks contains absolutely stunning photography. It was great to see some rock markings from Western Aus. This book delievered way more than i expected. It is so beautiful i was wasnt sure how to turn the pages without touching them and getting marks all over them. I was absolutely blown away at the quality
Great stuff

This is truly a wonderful book. Rainier's other book, "Where Masks Still Dance: New Guinea" was fabulous in its presentation and images, but this book goes one better with a dvd enhanced with music by Anoushka Shankar which can be viewed on its own. The music perfectly complements the starkness of the haunting images. Tattoos,scarification, and other bodily modifications of many cultures are showcased here without calling unecessary attention to these adornments as bizarre/freakish as in some other books which are designed to shock/titillate.

I bought this book as a gift for my girlfriend but stole it back. It isn't all about tattoos, which it may lead you to believe, but includes bits about all types of body modification techniques. The photographer is a well known National Geographic photographer, and his work certainly doesn't fail here. Good coffee table book if you have stuck up inlaws like I do that would be made uncomfortable by the sight of it.

You are going to see the true art of tattooing. Not everyone gets their whole body done, but you will see different aspects of it. I especially like Trevor Sibary on page 65 as he is my son and has not only received beautiful work by his dad, Falcon Fred, but also did 3 of my tattoo's (mom specials, lol) and he far exceeded anything his father could have taught him. They tattoo out of Columbus, GA at Falcon's on Broadway.

One of the aspects of contemporary art that is most striking is the choice of matrix on which artists elect to create art: Goldsworthy us the earth's surface, the Christos wrap buildings, graffiti has been considered art since Basquait brought it to our attention in the 1980s, animal skins, streets, etc - the list is endless. In this very handsomely photographed book of richly colored images, authors Gary Lee Heard and David Culturra celebrated the ever-growing fad of tattoo and piercing as an art form n this country. And in this volume not only is the art well documented, but the 'matrix' talks: the various models who posed for these fascinating photographs are given some space to comment on their motivations and beliefs in what they have chosen to do or have done to their bodies.

Not that tattoo and piercing are new elements of body decoration: Heard is quick to demonstrate that many tribes of peoples other than whose whom he elects to photograph have been using these techniques as ritual adornment for centuries. But the point of the book is to display the at times extraordinarily beautiful compositions that use the human body as canvas, using the popular techniques available in every city of the USA.

This is basically a picture book, but one that bears repeated viewing to absorb all the intricacies of the art of tattooing and piercing. A valuable addition to the art library literature. Grady Harp, December 2004

I was/am strongly considering getting a Tattoo and I picked this book up in the local Borders. One thing I'll say is don't pay the full $35 price.

It's got a lot of neat and interesting pictures along with quotes from the owner of the tattoos. It's a good book to look at a couple times, but you'll go through it quick (Making it not worth the price).

One plus: It's definitely a good conversation piece. Some of the pictures in this book will stun people, make them laugh, or cause genuine interest.

While the photographs in this book are absolutely lovely and some of the stories are moving,I found the text less than illuminating and lacking in critical discourse. The images alone make it worthwhile though - especially the subdermal implant work.

In this book, Maureen Mercury proposes that the growing popularity and acceptance of body modification in western culture is due to our need to recapture the personal rituals that we have lost. This book is not aimed at a neo-pagan audience, but at individuals who are looking for something deeper and more personally spiritual. I found myself agreeing with many of the ideas in this book. The photographs by Steve Haworth are outstanding as well. Place this one near the top of the list of the recent group of body modification books.

Any one interested in pagan culture, neo-paganism or wicca this is NOT the book for you. It should have been titled "Punk Fleshworks". If you are interested in the current punk-rock scene and body art then this will be of interest to you and well worth the read.

I've read and viewed almost all of the formative works on body modification, and for the most part I've been left with a rotten taste in my mouth, and an even greater sense of dispair for the unmodified world around me.

But this book is a bit different, I suspected and hoped this would shine a different light on my culture when I first heard about it. Having Reverend Haworth's input made my hopes soar even higher, he being the frontman to all that is extreme body modification in the WORLD at the moment. There are quite a few piercer's in the world, but none with his intelligence or dedication to do surgical mods with such grace and fluence, he is THE Body Modification Artist of our times. And of course he's my COBM Rev. of choice, which may mean I'm a bit biased. :)

Nice pictures, not so artistic that someone who doesn't know much about modification won't know what's going on (such as with ModCon's photos which I have to explain in detail to people). The book as a literary whole is put together well, and gives a broad expanse of insight on body modification... showing it as human society's natural progression that we've followed since we first evolved, not as a fad meant to draw attention.

Pagan Fleshworks is a better book than most when it comes to this topic, it didn't change my views on anything and I didn't agree with everything written. But it wasn't the usual "in-your-face-this-is-what's-right"... that people who throw around their doctorates as a means of justification put out regularly.
It gives the mind room to interpet, and conceive it's own thoughts... because after all that's what this culture's about... freedom of choice and expression.

It's not a must have buy to me (even though I own it), but it certainly deserves a checkout from the local library.

Okay, okay- I've reviewed this book already. I wanted to say that if you like body modification, are new to it, or simply have an interest, then you might want to check out this website:

Bmezine.com

It's a huge collection of photos and stories of people brave enough to modify themselves in accordance with their own wishes.

Highly recomended, as is this book. Hope this helps you find what you're looking for. :)

Very simple and nicely taken pixes

Kehr does an extraordinary job of documenting a very specific lifestyle while maintaining an engaging and original perspective. Very talented, keep your eye on this one.

'This book contains photographs of mainly piercing but also tattoos. The photographs range from a variety of genital and facial piercings. Has very big, clear pictures. Excellent quality. When i bought it i expected it to have writing so I was disapointed to get a book that solely contained photographs. However if what you are interested is a book with pictures and nothing else this is a very good choice. It contains very nice detailed closeups and is really a pleasure to look through.

I own quite a few books on tattoos and body modifications, but this one just doesn't make the cut. There was nothing special about the tattoos and piercings featured in this book, you could pick up a copy of any number of tattoo magazines for under ... and see more interesting work. The photography was good for the most part, but the subject matter was lacking. If you want a really good book on this subject get a copy of The Customized Body by Ted Polhemus. Charles Gatewood also has several outstanding books on the subject.

If you do decide to buy this one, make sure you save your return label, you'll probably need it.

What I like about this book is its emphasis on individuality. It shows many pictures of creative artistic young adults (they all look over 18 years old). It takes you to a secret world most modern mainstream professionals are unaware of. Great for a body art paper based on recent trends.Hint..hint

I used this book for my college paper. Found this book very informative and interesting. I would reccommend anyone wanting to research why people pierce, to read this book.