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Dr Socarides had been an important contributor to the literature on homosexuality for over twenty years. His earlier book, 'The Overt Homosexual' (1968) presented a comprehensive survey of the psychoanalytic knowledge of the subject, theoretical and clinical, which was available at that time. Probably, many readers believed that the ultimate exposition of the subject had been written and have not felt the need to read another book on homosexuality by the same author. However, this book, 'Homosexuality', further clarifies many theoretical problems, contains clear clinical material, and presents problems of psychoanalytic treatment, methodology and technique in an illuminating manner; as a result it is not just a revision of the earlier book but adds to our understanding of the subject. It integrates recent approaches to development, ego psychology, and narcissism into the comprehension of homosexuality.
In his theoretical approach, the author is a psychoanalytical eclecticist. He draws upon different ideas of many theoreticians and abstracts whatever he has found useful for the understanding of clinical phenomena. The chapter on Freud's contributions is followed by a historical survey of the literature from the earliest psychoanalytic formulations about homosexuality to modern papers and recent presentations. When we get into the material of the present day on pre-oedipal origins of homosexuality, and controversial problems of the self and gender identity, there is a refreshing lack of polemics or taking sides. Pertinent opinions of Kohut and Kernberg are used when they are helpful. Mahler's concepts of Separation and Individuation, and Jacobson's descriptions of the development of the Self are called upon whenever appropriate. Kleinian formulations are used. Stoller, Roiphe and Galenson add to the author's understanding of gender identity. The bibliographical listings take up twenty-three pages. The references are cited in the body of the book and consta