... must-have for every tattoo shop … great recommendation to give to those thinking of beginning their body art journey. -- Tattoo Magazine, July, 2005

For anyone who's ever considered getting permanently pigmented and indelibly – here's the ultimate initiation into the tribe of the tattooed. From Stone Age man to urban hipsters, and from distant shores to the nearest mall, tattoos continue to lay claim to new territory, displaying a dizzying array of personal creativity, choices, and identity. Even the most ardent of onlookers and timid of freaks will be able to start on their own tattoo journey with the help of this fun, fact-filled, and fascinating guide, which includes:

- What makes a tattoo "real"

- Discovering your tattoo symbol

- Hooking up with your tattoo artist

- How to be safety and health conscious

- The effects of time, the sun, and lasers

- Whether or not it hurts ... You get one guess

- And much, much more

For virgins or the heavily tattooed, whether you're looking for an anklet or a back piece, this is the exhaustive and indispensable guide to making the best possible choices when it comes to getting inked. Think Before You Ink

Dunn's travails will be instantly recognizable to readers in their late 30s and 40s—a generation that's shifted the family bickering about what to serve at holiday dinners to conference calls and e-mails. Her parents are a bottomless well of comedy, sending her wacky newspaper clippings and grilling her loudly about her inability to go to the bathroom during their vacation. Her circle of friends is equally familiar, like the gay buddy who invites her over for TV-movie parties and can always be counted on to make catty remarks about strangers. Several chapters are filled with transcripts of phone conversations with her best friend, Julie, flitting from topic to topic, comparing the embarrassing songs saved on their iPods and wondering why their parents haven't figured out voice mail isn't like an answering machine (Hello? Anybody there? Hello, it's Dad). Dunn's tone is genial, only turning serious briefly near the end when she discusses not having kids—and then inadvertently discovers she's finally pregnant. The seriousness doesn't last long, though, and soon it's back to affectionately mocking her mom's decision to get tattooed—although, as her sisters point out, she's secretly pleased to have something new to write about. (June 23)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"I want Jancee Dunn to make me a pie. Actually, I want to sit around and listen to her entire family argue about what type of pie. Such is the extreme charm of her world. No matter the subject, Dunn's gimlet eye for all of life’s minor infractions and daily quirks is superbly addictive." —Sloane Crosley, author of I Was Told There'd be Cake

“[Jancee Dunn’s] wonder, bemusement, befuddlement, and frank delight at growing into adulthood are highly entertaining… Readers who enjoy humorous memoirs infused with a healthy dose of pop culture are sure to love this book, which has the potential to be an entertaining and provocative book club choice.” —Library Journal
 
“Genial [and] affectionately mocking…Dunn's travails will be instantly recognizable to readers in their late 30s and 40s…. Her parents are a bottomless well of comedy [and] her circle of friends is equally familiar.”—Publishers Weekly

From the Trade Paperback edition.
--This text refers to the

Kindle Edition
edition.