The POLYNESIAN TATTOO Handbook: Practical guide to creating meaningful Polynesian tattoos

Received quickly and in great condition. The contents of the book are very digestible and detailed! Being born and raised in Hawai’i - and dancing hula all of my life, it was important for me to understand more about my culture.

I don't know Phil nor Gemori personally, so I don't have any particular bias. I had a subscription to Phil's online dictionary (tahititataou) several years ago, and with all due respect to Phil, I disagree with his review that this book is simply a copy of his web site or that it is only for tourists.There is information on Phil's website that is not in this book and vice versa. For the most relevant material, this book covers most of what Phil's website covers.It explains the importance of tatau in polynesian culture, it explains the symbolism, it explains how one might go about selecting symbols, and it provides case studies.The latter, case studies, shows example tataus and breaks them down into the individual symbols. Phil's site does this too but not as well in my opinion.The one thing that Phil's site provides that is rather useful is a list of names and contact info for well known top polynesian tattooists around the world.My only three criticisms for this ebook are:1. Table of contents do not let you jump quickly to the chapters.2. Although it describes how one might go about designing one's tatau it does not mention a more important method- which is what you would really experience if you went to a polynesian tattooist. The tattooist will not usually ask you what specific symbols you want. Instead the tattooist will interview you and draw by hand his interpretation of what you tell them directly on your skin (no flash, just freehand). Then with your approval he will begin the tattooing. The tattooist chooses the symbols, not you. You and the tattooist enter a trust relationship and afterwards you will find that the outcome is even better than you could have imagined. I believe both Phil's website and this book underestimates how well a skilled tattooist can design something that is so much more aesthetically pleasing than you can.3. The book is an advertising tool for its own website. But considering the low cost of the ebook and the amount of information received, I think the advertising in the book is tolerable.Overall for the amount of money you pay for the ebook, it is well worth it. I can understand why Phil is concerned. He charges significantly more for a subscription, but not for substantially more information. I'm sorry Phil but I'm just being honest. Your website introduced me to the beauty of polynesian tattooing, but I think overall this book gives you better value for the money spent.

This is a must have for tattoo artist that plan on doing polynesian tattoos. You really need to know what the symbols mean before you put ink on anyone. Not to mention it's just plain respect for the history and art of tattooing. I bought the 2nd book but when it downloaded it was nothing but codes for printing the book or some weird crap . Waiting for the company to fix their info then I will buy it again. I was reimbursed for my book.

I’m part Hawaiian, specifically 25%, which is a rather large hunk of my DNA. The only thing is, I’m as pale as paper with natural red hair. I want to show pride in my heritage, but living in Texas, there aren’t that many reliable Polynesian artists. I bought this book to get better insight on how to style my tattoo. If I can find inspiration on how I want my tattoo to look, I can sketch it out, so then all the tattoo artist will have to do is clean it up and help me adjust the design to fit my body. This book is informative, with specific details, and has the traditional bold Polynesian style. If these tattoos are your thing, I highly recommend a copy of this.

Fascinating subject - the art of the Polynesian tattoo. Obviously the author has great knowledge. My question is: where are the other 640-some pages and what do they say? I’ll give them a complete 5-star rating if they give me a complete book. Thanks for what I read though, it makes me want to delve deeper.

Though I know it is impossible to have every symbol in this book. If you have a Polynesian tattoo it can help you understand some of the symbols. I don’t like that it is so small book. They could have elaborated more. But it is a goo start. You can use this book before or after you get your tattoo to help gain knowledge on what you want to get

A good book to learn about the polynesian culture.

The author did a terrific job gathering data and explaining the intricacies of Polynesian tattoo symbols.The perfect handbook for anyone considering a Polynesian tattoo.

Now, I partly read this book for research and partly for my own curiosity.And I have to say I found it intriguing.The way some of the forms have developed is beautiful in its simplicity.The author warns that there may be variations to the interpretations depending on which Polynesian Island you ask. But the general meanings are fab.The way these various symbols then interweave into intricate, meaningful tattoos is amazing.I really like how these are described and then illustrated.I may even get a tat of my own!

Just received my copy this evening and immediately thought "oh come on"! £13.50 gets you a book 1cm thick that looks like it has been stored in a damp warehouse, has doubled spaced 16 font typing which starts 5-8cm down the page and has 2cm boarders. I normally have to wear reading glasses but can read this book with ease. It looks like a teenagers school project where they have tried to fill as many pages as possible with as little information as you can get away with.That being said the information is concise, informative and just what you need (If not well drawn) when researching a tattoo of this nature. I bought the Kindle version a month or so ago but needed something I could thumb through and maybe turn down pages on. As it is I have room to draw, make notes even make my own drawings in the edges.As far as the quality of the book and the amount of information contained this book should not cost more than £5.50. If you are looking for quick explanations with large mediocre drawings where you do not need to wear glasses then this is a useful book. Just don't expect VFM.

Great book, with great information on the importance of heritage of the traditions, as well as how to create your own tattoo's

This is a great book and helped me to understand the meanings behind Polynesian tattoos, including placement and symbols. Highly recommended

Great book and really helped