• how to select a good tattoo artist
• what to expect during a tattooing session
• how to ensure the artist uses sterile needles and other safety precautions
• how to care for a new tattoo
• why people get tattoos--25 sexual motivations for body art
  
  More than a history of the art or a roster of famous--and infamous--tattoo customers and artists, Bad Boys and Tough Tattoos is a raunchy, provocative look at a forgotten subculture.
  
  

Not so in the fifties and early sixties when a tattoo was a sign that you belonged to a certain class. Women didn't get tattooed at all (I met a girl on a train about a twenty years ago who confessed that her tattoo showing under the lace of her wedding dress made her feel like a tramp.) and the men who did were tough guys, or living within some sort of society where they were an accepted part of life. Steward not only tattooed these men, he studied them, talked to them and learned the reasons why they'd chosen to decorate their bodies in certain ways. He investigated the sexuality inherent in tattooing as well as the social issues. He is not a disinterested observer, nor has he written an objective study. But what he gives us is probably far more interesting in its intimacy.

While there is probably information applicable to the current tattoo culture in the US, this book really is dated. It's fascinating for students of the time, and of the milieus he discusses, but won't be right for everyone.


Steer clear: an amateur work   August 22, 2002
 6 out of 12 found this review helpful

As a scholar of what might be called outsiders, I was eager to read this work on tatooing. But the scholarship here is hackneyed and unprofessional. His sources are scattered and incomplete and his discussion is of similar quality. Given the excellent quality of research being done on this topic, this book falls into a dont-bother-with category.


Not bad, but shy of having the weight it should   June 1, 2001
 3 out of 6 found this review helpful

This book is well done, is based on a lot of experience and touches on important points.

The author is a retired university English prof turned tattoo artist. For someone looking at sociology of the body or anthropology, it may not have the same weight as if it was authored by someone with a background in the above disciplines. Nevertheless, it is a good starting point and has a good bibliography.

For a tattoo artist or enthusiast, it is an interesting read, but doesn't have pictures of the work described in the book.


Autobiography of a tattoo artist   August 25, 1999
 2 out of 6 found this review helpful

The author, quite an intelligent man having left a teachingcareer, gives an interesting autobiography of his years as a tattooartist who became quite sought out for his artistry. The book is written in a very easy style to read and he recalls many incidents that bring his clientele and artistry to life. It helped me understand the why's and who's of tattooing.


What a Read   June 22, 2002
 2 out of 4 found this review helpful

Having 4 tattoo's applied last year at the ripe young age of 50, I was fascinated by this book. Tattoo's in the 50's & 60's apparently were taboo except for the underbelly of life. Looking at how they are accepted today as opposed to then is astounding. The syndicate was even involved in the 50's. The book actually had me laughing out loud at some of the situations this highly educated man faced when he gave up teaching English at a major university and took up tattooing. If you have any interest in tattoo's be sure to purchas this one.