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Rating: 
Summary: Academically Excellent Reference Book
Review: David Halpern "is Professor of Literature in the School of
Humanities and Social Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology" . . . and it shows. This book is a complex
treatment of a complex subject.I don't like to divulge the endings of novels - let the reader
find out for himself . . . but this is no novel, and this has
no final conclusion. It deals with societal characteristics (East
and West) from about 500 BC to present, maintains that
"homosexuality" is pretty much a POOR psychological category
used only in the LAST 150 years, and, as such, has many
failings . . . as a valid classification of human behavior. The author investigates both the NATURE (are there genetic
homosexuals?) and NURTURE (are there socially produced homosexuals?)
sides of the question: "WHAT PRODUCES SAME SEX BEHAVIOR?" By the time you finish the book you will be an expert on
Ancient Greek History (Athens). . . at LEAST. In summation I believe the author "feels", as do I, that
sex is a strong undifferentiated, biological drive
channeled to target by MANY environmental elements. This book should be required reading for all undergraduates.
Rating: 
Summary: A classic gay studies text! You must buy it.
Review: This book is a canonical gay studies text. Halperin is a respected academic in both the classics and gay studies. The term "homosexuality" was invented a little over a century ago. Thus, anything before that time has to be analyzed in perspective. Halperin looks at the classic writings of ancient Greek "homosexuals" and puts them into deep analysis. Halperin avoids a lot of the "essentialist" mistakes that John Boswell fell into with his Social Tolerance book. Dover's book has more cool photos in it, but Halperin's book is very worthwhile. It's a must-have for classics and gay readers.
Rating:
Summary: Solid Compendium
Review: This was given to me by a friend. I have found it to be indespensible in my readings as a great place to start looking for information on Greek Homosexuality. The bibliography is top-notch. Highly recommended for any historian or philosopher of the Greek era, and any gay person interested in the history of homosexuality.
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