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scarlettletters's review
4.0
When I think of tattoos, I don't usually think of equations or the skeletons of long-dead animals. But the pictures in the book are of just that. Zimmer shows the pictures of tattoos, along with a description of why the person got the tattoo and some scientific background. The science parts are quite general and easy for anyone to understand. The book is divided into sections by discipline and in addition to an index there is a very useful visual index.
tragiccharacter's review
5.0
I never ever wanted a tatoo until I heard about this book. We are a nerdish family so we all enjoyed this. It actually led to some interesting bedtime Internet searches and group learning with the kiddos about the golden ratio. It is basically a display, coffee table, book though slightly taller than an average book. The right kind of book to buy hard copy!
ariel_bloomer's review
4.0
Awesome collection of science and math tattoos-- great inspiration and fodder for tattoo-daydreaming. Loved that it included the personal stories and attachments of those who were inked.
mckklccc's review
3.0
this was an extremely fun read just like I expected. I am fascinated by tattoos and the stories behind them.
I personally don't have any tattoos, nor do I have any plans for any in the future but I still really enjoy the thought of someone loving something so much that they would have it permanently drawn onto their body.
the science aspect to this book was really interesting because I am not a scientist or mathematician and some of these concepts were pretty foreign to me until the description from the person who believed the concept applied so strongly to their life explained it in the passage about their tattoo. That was an invaluable relatable little tidbit of science which was fun.
My favorite tattoo and explanation was the caffeine tattoo.
I do feel like this book would have been better done if it had been photographed by a professional and the tattoos have been screened for quality work. As a visual artist myself I was disappointed in the aesthetic qualities of many of the tattoos. The science and stories were great though.
I personally don't have any tattoos, nor do I have any plans for any in the future but I still really enjoy the thought of someone loving something so much that they would have it permanently drawn onto their body.
the science aspect to this book was really interesting because I am not a scientist or mathematician and some of these concepts were pretty foreign to me until the description from the person who believed the concept applied so strongly to their life explained it in the passage about their tattoo. That was an invaluable relatable little tidbit of science which was fun.
My favorite tattoo and explanation was the caffeine tattoo.
I do feel like this book would have been better done if it had been photographed by a professional and the tattoos have been screened for quality work. As a visual artist myself I was disappointed in the aesthetic qualities of many of the tattoos. The science and stories were great though.
_emma_rose_'s review
4.0
I'm going to be completely honest, I didn't read every single description in this book. HOWEVER. It was such a great book to flip through! The tattoos were so neat, and the descriptions I did read were really interesting. I'll need to look into more Carl Zimmer books because his style was very appealing. A great read or flip-through for lovers of science, tattoos, or just cool images!
satyridae's review
4.0
This is a wonderful book! I love Zimmer's other books, but this is something special. Photos of scientific tattoos are accompanied by the tattoo-ee's statement about the personal meaning of the tattoo, followed by a cogent explanation of the science underlying the tattoo by Zimmer. I have to buy a copy of this. Highly recommended for geeks of all stripes.