Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why

The Science of Sexual Orientation

By: Simon LeVay

Narrated by: Topher Payne

What causes a child to grow up gay or straight? In this book, neuroscientist Simon LeVay summarizes a wealth of scientific evidence that points to one inescapable conclusion: Sexual orientation results primarily from an interaction between genes, sex hormones, and the cells of the developing body and brain.

LeVay helped create this field in 1991 with a much-publicized study in Science, where he reported on a difference in the brain structure between gay and straight men. Since then, an entire scientific discipline has sprung up around the quest for a biological explanation of sexual orientation. In this book, LeVay provides a clear explanation of where the science stands today, taking the reader on a whirlwind tour of laboratories that specialize in genetics, endocrinology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, evolutionary psychology, and family demographics. He describes, for instance, how researchers have manipulated the sex hormone levels of animals during development, causing them to mate preferentially with animals of their own gender. LeVay also reports on the prevalence of homosexual behavior among wild animals, ranging from Graylag geese to the Bonobo chimpanzee.

Although many details remain unresolved, the general conclusion is quite clear: A person's sexual orientation arises in large part from biological processes that are already underway before birth. LeVay also makes it clear that these lines of research have a lot of potential because--far from seeking to discover "what went wrong" in the lives of gay people, attempting to develop "cures" for homosexuality, or returning to traditional explanations that center on parent-child relationships, various forms of "training," or early sexual experiences--our modern scientists are increasingly seeing sexual variety as something to be valued, celebrated, and welcomed into society.

©2011 Simon LeVay (P)2014 Audible Inc.

The title is misleading

The book describes a lot about the existence of homosexuality but certainly does not give a definitive answer to why.
I am a gay man in his 60s. I knew I was different when I was a kid and I did everything in my power to change that. I worked hard to man up for lack of better terms. I learned to speak in a deeper voice and annunciation. I taught myself to walk different. I pretended to be interested in girls. I watched what other guys admired in women's bodies and acted like I noticed
I eventually got married had children and came out later in life after the military lifted its ban on homosexuality. I had a long military career.
This is a long story about wanting to know why.
I really didn't get that answer.
The book did give me insight Into not blaming myself and I think it was helpful in proving its not a choice.
The odd thing for me is my family is more accepting of me than I am of myself. The eraI grew up in and the long military career still make me question myself. This book helped.

Excellent litterature review on the topic

This book summarizes scientific studies on the reasons behind sexual orientation and behavior. It describes multiple hypotheses, experiments and findings on the topic.
Well written. Good voice acting. Contains lots of valuable information.