 It was one of the first documents to attempt to comprehensively cover the re-emergence and increasing popularity of tattooing, piercing, scarification, corsetry, sideshow, ritual and other practices in contemporary western society.At the time of its publication, "Modern Primitives" was the first text to attempt to comprehensively address the issues, aesthetics and meaning involved in the subject of body modification.The public knowledge of the term Modern Primitive is primarily due to the widespread popularity of this book.