This is a brilliant book. Friedman and Downey have seen the flaws in Freudian theory and have had the courage to point up the shortcomings of earlier assumptions. They then present a revised theory that is a model for our time, a ground-breaking work that will serve to guide us in our thinking about sexuality in all its aspects as we enter the new century and millenium.

— Michael Stone, M.D., Columbia University

Brilliant and original, this pioneering book by the eminent scholars Friedman and Downey synthesizes modern knowledge about sexuality with psychoanalytic developmental theory. Its engrossing clinical section provides the gold standard for the pyschotherapeutic treatment of gay men and lesbians with internalized homophobia. This book is a joy to read and offers a blueprint for the way psychoanalysts and psychotherapists should think about human sexual orientation.

— Harold I. Lief, M.D., emeritus professor of psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania

An extraordinary book! Drawing upon a vast, varied and fascinating body of neurobiological, psychological, sociological, and anthropological scholarship while wielding formidable skills, sensitivities and insights gleaned from extensive clinical experience, psychiatrists Richard Friedman and Jennifer Downey bring light and lucidity to our understanding of sexual orientation in men and women.

— Stuart Yudofsky, M.D., editor, Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences

This is a truly remarkable book. In clear, compelling language, Friedman and Downey present a balanced, thoughtful, scholarly review of an important and complex yet often highly charged subject. They review scientific studies of genetic and biological factors relevant to sexual orientation and gender role behavior against a backdrop of historically influential psychoanalytic theories. Refreshingly, the authors present their own multidetermined, revisionist position based on scientific evidence, the ideas of persuasive thinkers, and their own clinical experience. Illustrative case material links new scientific knowledge with consulting room experience. This is a gem of a book that every clinician should read.

This book holds particular interest for anyone concerned with or responsible for the care of children. Parents, teachers, pediatricians, as well as therapists will benefit from the discussion of developmental research that makes even psychoendocrinology an understandable part of the child's endowment and world. Discussion of the different developmental tracks of boys and girls focuses on implications for the development of homophobia in each sex and thus makes an important addition to our understanding of the middle school and subsequent years.

— Judith Schacter, M.D., past president, American Psychoanalytic Association

A masterful synthesis of current research on homosexuality, both male and female, and a focused exploration of the influences of cultural biases and ideological commitments on scientific inquiry and clinical practice in this field. With rich clinical illustrations, they examine the genetic, neurobiological, psychodynamic, and psychosocial factors codetermining core sexual identity, gender role identity, and object choice at both a theoretical and a practical level. This book raises challenging questions for psychoanalysis as well as for the present explosion of neurobiological research and is a must for clinicians as well as researchers.

Friedman and Downey tackle a subject that has elicited enormous controversy and conflict, both within and outside of the psychoanalytic community. This volume provides a unique and thoughtful blend of clinical and scientific expertise and will be of great interest to the practicing clinician, the laboratory researcher, and the scholar in the social sciences who seeks a sophisticated understanding of sexual orientation development