Beautifully crafted with a padded, “puffy” hardback cover and glossy, full-color pages, Kat’s personal aesthetic is present even in the meticulous design of High Voltage Tattoo. Despite being only 176 pages, the oversized, 8″ x 10″ layout packs a lot of information in this sturdy tome.

One part autobiography, Kat gives an overview of her life in both the written and pictorial sense, showcasing photos from her childhood and her life as told by her tattoos and what they mean to her. Fans looking for her to rehash gory details of her love life or any behind-the-scenes drama that went on during her stint on Miami Ink will be disappointed as there is little – if any – in the way of trash talking in these chapters.

Rather, the book focuses on the positive and is much more of a love letter to tattooing and the doors her art has opened for Ms. Von Drachenberg. Details on the tools of the trade, the science behind tattoo guns, and tidbits of information on inks and shading the perfect tattoo are related in conversational form. The information provided is relatively detailed without being overly technical. It achieves the aim of giving those outside the artist portion of the tattoo community enough information to edify them and to whet their appetite should they decide to delve further into the art on their own. It’s conversational enough to hold the reader’s attention, yet won’t overwhelm them with the minutia of details that an established tattoo artist would already be well-versed in.

The main focus of the book is undoubtedly the art, artistry, and artists showcased in High Voltage Tattoo and speaks to any tattoo aficionado regardless of how many hours they’ve spent under the (tattoo) gun — or with one in their hand. Kat cites her influences and mentors in the tattoo world with glowing praise for their work, giving the reader a glimpse at the various styles offered by other artists whose sense of aesthetics may also appeal to them. She uses her own star power to increase the visibility of those who helped her to her lofty status in the tattoo community and to give props to the current crop of artists who work out of her shop – both on camera and off.

While other artists have a solid representation in the book, High Voltage’s main visuals stems from its gorgeous layout, very much in keeping with Kat Von D’s intermingled love of music (from Beethoven to H.I.M. and beyond!) and the richly elegant style of baroque art. Segments of the book are broken down into chapters named for many an AC/DC song.

Kat also devotes a segment of the book to dispelling the myths surrounding tattoos. (No, you will not bleed more if you’re drunk when you get a tattoo. But yes, yes, yes, it is very bad form to show up sauced to your session. Let’s face it. Not many artists want to be covered with a quart of vom as they’re plying their trade in a sterile environment!)

Hundreds of Kat’s photorealistic portrait tattoos and original concepts jump off the page in both vivid color and living black and grey. Photos of the numerous celebrities she has tattooed stand alongside everyday people who have all been fortunate enough to bear the brand of Ms. Von D’s handiwork. She recounts in detail, the inspiration behind these tattoos as well as letting their recipients share their thoughts on their experience from creation to healing from both a physical and emotional standpoint.

Tattoos are more than just expression. It’s almost like therapy for some people. No longer relegated to the underground, the increased understanding of how liberating tattoos can be and how much skill goes into these portable works of art is helping to break down long-held taboos. With High Voltage Tattoo, Kat Von D continues her role in bringing the art of tattooing into a more easily accessible light to the masses, educating them while holding them spellbound with her considerable talents and charm.

Receiving a co-writing credit on the book is rock journalist, Ian Gittins, assisting in the present-day interviews of figures mentioned in Sixx’s diaries. Chosen for his ability to wring the brutal truth out of his subjects, Gittins manages to pull some choice written-sound bytes from members of Motley Crue, Evangelist Denise Williams (formerly known as Vanity, Sixx’s one-time girlfriend), members of Nikki’s family, and other fixtures in his life during that turbulent year. Providing a well-rounded portrait, these people come clean with intriguing observations and frustrations with the person they knew 20 years ago.

Photographer and graphic artist Paul Brown is responsible for the eye-catching layout of the book. Rendered in high-gloss black, white, and red in a bold, graphic-intensive “splatter” style, the layout compliments the book nicely and provides a visual medium to display the random thoughts, scraps, interviews, and song lyrics scattered throughout.

The real meat-and-potatoes of the book, however, are Sixx’s diaries themselves. He captures himself at his best and his worst, as well as the double-edged sword of life on the road. An exercise in empathy, at times, you find yourself alternately rooting for him to beat his demons into submission and shaking your head as he slides back into deadly habits at various points throughout the book.

While the Nikki Sixx of 20 years ago comes off as something of a dick at times, he’s undoubtedly charismatic and possessed of a surprising lucidity in his thoughts — even while high as a kite. The Nikki Sixx of 1987 is the kind of guy you would want to hang out with, but only with extreme caution. On several occasions in the diaries, Sixx gives a play-by-play after shooting up, jotting down his drug-addled thoughts and offering the reader insight into the mind of an addict.

Contrasted with the sober Sixx of 2007 (who also contributes running commentary on his past exploits), it’s easy to see what a difference two decades make in terms of maturity and strength of character. A less pretentious version of the rockstar/humanitarian a la Bono, Sixx has found a mission in helping others by spilling his guts and ripping off the bandages of a painful period in his life in a down-to-earth, and easily accessible manner. Sixx certainly isn’t vying for sainthood, but he’s very real, raw, charismatic, and genuinely likeable.

Although it feels like it could have been written just yesterday, bearing in mind Sixx’s diary entries date back to 1987, The Heroin Diaries as a time capsule offers a glimpse back into the latter half of “The Me Decade.” Sixx and his cohorts give insight into life as a high-profile outsider during that period, bucking the Regan-era’s throwback to conservative values and heading up a faction bent on shocking the complacency out of America and the world.

Also touched upon is the rampant use of cocaine as the era’s drug of choice. Cocaine use comes across as almost the norm, not just among the rock n’ roll set, but even the straight-laced suits that surround the band. Nearly everyone in the book sniffs some snow. Whereas heroin is frowned upon, in this snapshot of 1987, cocaine use is treated with all the casualness of lighting a cigarette. The author’s bouts of despair also underscore the ’80s as the decade before Prozac and therapeutic mood-altering prescription drugs were widely accepted in treating depression.

Brought to life once again, are the ordeals of Sixx’s attempts to clean up, made all the more difficult not just by a wavering will and depression, but by relentless drug dealers unwilling to let a steady source of income go. The Heroin Diaries subtly hints at the behaviors of unspoken cries for help under the guise of merriment. Suddenly drunk/drugged dialing and room hopping don’t seem as innocent.

This book should be required reading for high school students, providing an educational and realistic portrait of drug abuse. On one hand, The Heroin Diaries shows what is so attractive about drugs. In a telling passage taken from his diaries, Sixx ponders “Heroes - why do we look up to them? Is it their music or their lifestyle? I’m 29 years old, they say you grow outta loving rock ‘n’ roll but it’s a huge part of me. It feels like music raised me, adopted me, saved my life.” With Sixx’s own admissions of a troubled childhood and feelings of abandonment peppering the text throughout, the book gives deeper evidence of addiction stemming from more than “wanting to be like the cool kids.” Loneliness, boredom, and depression — undiagnosed or otherwise — factor into an equation that proves Nancy Reagan’s solution to “Just Say NO!” isn’t as simple or effective as you may like to believe. In doing so, the book deglamourizes drug use and gives great detail as to what happens mentally and physically as a result of addiction, the physical affects of shooting up and mixing drugs, and the brutality of eventual withdrawal.

The paperback version of The Heroin Diaries will be released on October 28, 2008. Nikki Sixx will be donating 25% of its proceeds to his charity, Running Wild in the Night, in conjunction with Covenant House, helping to keep runaway and abused kids off the streets.