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Simon
LeVay's Books
- The Sexual Brain
- City of Friends
- Queer Science
- Albrick's Gold
- Earth in Turmoil
- Here Be Dragons
- Healing the Brain
- Human Sexuality (2nd
edition)
- NEW!
When
Science Goes Wrong
The Sexual Brain
(MIT Press, 1993)
An overview of human sexuality from a
biologist's perspective.
"In this slim and elegant volume, LeVay
explores why we are sexual animals, what brain mechanisms produce sexual
behavior, and how they differ in men and women. He asks 'What determines sexual
orientation? Genes, events in the womb, or nurture?' A work of stunning
scientific scholarship enhanced by gracious style and modesty."
"Elegantly, even wittily written, it merges
evolutionary theory, endocrinology, molecular genetics and cognitive psychology
into a synthesis that is brilliant and entertaining."
Available in French, German, Spanish,
Italian, Dutch, Japanese, Portuguese, and Greek translations.
City of
Coauthored with Elisabeth Nonas of
"A marvellous book, with a clear vision for
the future, that analyzes the gay and lesbian community in all its diversity.
The authors are not afraid to take controversial stands, based on a wealth of
information drawn from numerous sources...Everyone can learn something
important from it. Walter Williams, Professor of Anthropology,
Queer
Science: The Use and Abuse of Research into Homosexuality.
MIT Press, 1996.
What makes people gay, straight, or bisexual?
And how does research in this area influence the way gay people are viewed and
treated by society?
"Simon LeVay is a neuroanatomist and
pioneer of the study of brain structures in sexual orientation. He is also a
marvelous writer. In Queer Science he sums up a century of research
including social learning, genes, brain structure, hormones, and much more. He
then addresses the moral and legal issues posed by this research. If you have
been waiting for a clear and readable exposition of sex orientation research
that integrates science and politics, get this book." Richard C.
Pillard, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry,
Available in Japanese translation.
Albrick's Gold.
Richard Kasak Books, 1997;
This biomedical thriller is a worst-case
scenario for what might happen if the technology to change a person's sexual
orientation through brain cell implants should become a reality.
"A well-plotted and imaginative bio-tech
thriller." Publisher's Weekly
"A Cook-Crichton type of medical paranoia
thriller...Why shouldn't we have our own Coma and
The
Earth in Turmoil: Earthquakes and Volcanoes and their Impact on Humankind
(with Kerry Sieh). W.H. Freeman, 1998.
Co-authored with famed Caltech geologist Kerry
Sieh, this book is a popular account of earthquakes and
volcanoes from the perspective of the scientists who study them.
"Anyone who thinks we reside on terra
firma will be jolted into reality by this unique and eminently readable
book, which brings earthquakes and volcanoes to life with fascinating anecdotes
about how they have reshaped the world around us - and with evidence that they
will continue to wreak havoc unpredictably and with devastating power." Steven
M. Stanley, Professor of Paleobiology,
"A wonderfully informative primer on two of
the planet's more astounding geological forces." San Diego
Union-Tribune
Here Be Dragons: The Scientific Quest
for Extraterrestrial Life (with David Koerner).
Co-authored with
"A dazzling tour de force." Simon
Conway Morris, Professor of Earth Sciences,
Healing the Brain: A Doctor's
Controversial Quest for a Cure for Parkinson's Disease
(with Curt Freed). Times Books, 2002.
Co-authored with Curt Freed, M.D., of the
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, this book is an account of the
development of cell-transplantation technology for the treatment of Parkinson's
disease. It focusses on a recent controversial study in which Freed's team
enrolled 40 patients - men and women who were willing, at the roll of a dice,
to have fetal cells implanted in their brains or to have sham surgery, and to
be kept in ignorance as to which treatment they had received. This strategy led
to the first scientific documentation of the effectiveness of cell therapy, but
it also triggered some unexpected human dramas.
"A lucid and engrossing medical detective
story." Publishers Weekly.
"A 'must read' for anyone . . . curious
about the stem-cell controversy, or who just enjoys a real-life science
thriller." Dean Hamer, author of Living With Our Genes.
Human Sexuality (with Sharon Valente). 2nd. Edition. Sinauer
Associates, 2006.
This is a college textbook of human sexuality.
It emphasizes the interplay of biological and environmental factors in sexual
development.
Chapter titles:
- Diverse Perspectives on
Sexuality
- Sex and Evolution
- Women’s Bodies
- Men’s Bodies
- Sex Hormones and the
Menstrual Cycle
- Sexual Development
- Gender
- Sexual Attraction and
Arousal
- Sexual Behavior
- Sexual Relationships
- Fertility, Pregnancy,
and Childbirth
- Contraception and Abortion
- Sexuality across the
Lifespan
- Sexual Minorities
- Atypical Sexuality
- Disorders of Desire and
Performance
- Sexually Transmitted
Diseases
- Sexual Assault, Sexual
Harassment, and Intimate Partner Violence
- Sex as a Commodity
". . . written in an exceptionally engaging
and accessible style. The authors skillfully relate new concepts to the
existing knowledge base of the average student . . . . attention-grabbing
examples illustrate general concepts. . . . a marvelous job." Pauline
M. Maki, National Institutes of Health.
“…offers a thorough, authoritative,
and entertaining resource for teachers or anyone who wants to understand more
about sex. You feel like you are having a lively conversation with someone who
happens to be very, very well informed.” Archives of Sexual Behavior.
NEW! Read a full-length review of the book here.
For more
information about this book, to purchase it directly from the publisher, or to
request an exam copy (prospective adopters only), please visit this page
on the publisher’s web site.
When
Science Goes Wrong: Twelve Tales from the Dark Side of Discovery. Plume, 2008 (March 25).
Mostly, we hear about science’s triumphs—the wonder drugs, the moon landings, the ever-faster computers. But for every brilliant scientific success there are a dozen failures. Mostly these involve no more than some wasted funds and a blank spot one someone’s resume. Once in a while, though, science doesn’t just fail—it goes spectacularly, even horribly wrong. And that makes for a great story.
“Venturing into the unknown
can have unexpected consequences. LeVay offers many different explanations for
what caused the calamitous mistakes he examines. Sheer bravura could account
for the vulcanologists who were killed climbing into the crater of an
about-to-erupt volcano. Imperfect information and a TV weatherman’s
vanity led to misreporting on a hurricane that killed 18 Britons in 1987. Bad
geological advice, combined with design changes made by an engineer with a
God-like reputation, built a dam in the wrong place in 1920s
"Amazing…entertaining…thought-provoking.”
Publishers Weekly
"Intriguing…well-told stories.”
Booklist