Once a fringe phenomenon, tattooing is now a full-blown cultural fact. More than 40 million people in the U.S. alone have tattoos, all with unique stories about why they chose to indelibly mark their bodies. Permanence combines photographic tattoo portraits with these stories, told in the subjects' own words and handwriting. Kip Fulbeck brings together young and old of all races, religions, and political persuasions-from celebrities to suburban moms...

This collection covers all styles of tattoos from bold tribal pieces, Chines characters, and hieroglyphs to delicate air-brushed designs. Included are striking images of tattoos ranging from all-over zbody suitsy to individual motifs.

"This mind-blowing illustrated collection showcases hundreds of tattoos dedicated to numerous scientific arenas, from evolutionary biology and neuroscience to mathematics and astrophysics, with a brief note from each inked individual highlighting the reasons for selecting the tattoo. Best of all, each example is a leaping-off point for best-selling science essayist and lecturer Zimmer to muse about the subject, whether it's the importance of a tattoo...