Stephanie C. (crawford) reviewed on 8/11/2009 + 59 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Jeff Johnson is a tattoo artist working in Portland, Oregan (he works & co-owns Sea Tramp Tattoo Company) and has been tattooing professionally for over 18 years. I happened to pick up this book from the library randomly based on the cover, and was treated to one of the best memoirs I've read in a long time. The book is separated into short chapters, each one centering on topics like "Science & the Pain", "Scams" and "Shop Talk". We get a short history of tattooing in America, and Johnson's view on how the business has changed over the decades. We get a little background info on him through interesting stories, and TONS and TONS of hilarious and/or terrifying stories on his (mis)adventures during his tattooing career.

There's sex, blood and cursing like sailors in the book, so it's not for the easily offended. If you have tattoos, are thinking of getting one or are interested in them in any way I highly recommend this book. There's a ton of useful insider knowledge Johnson lets the reader in on, and the whole book is an entertaining ride that reads very quickly.

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