Encyclopedia of Homosexuality [Hardcover]

Wayne R. Dynes (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Dynes (author of Homosexuality: A Research Guide, LJ 5/15/87) has put together a superb reference tool. The encyclopedia contains 770 articles providing a broad range of information useful to both scholar and layperson. Coverage includes historical, medical, psychological, sociological, and transcultural and transgeographical information in biographical, topical, and thematic entries. A subject cross-reference guide begins the work. Biographies exclude living people, but they are often referred to in the text. The focus tends to be Western (because of the availability of information), but African, Eastern, and other groups are included. Variant viewpoints are discussed, and bibliographies (primarily covering book-length studies) are provided at the end of each article. Homosexuality is treated in the broad sense, including lesbianism, bisexuality, and homophobia. Most entries are readable at a high school level, but a few (e.g., "Social Construction," "Canon Law") require work and the use of a specialized dictionary. Highly recommended.
- Robert Aken, Univ. of Kentucky Libs., Lexington
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1484 pages
• Publisher: Garland; 1st edition (January 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824065441
• ISBN-13: 978-0824065447
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.9 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An indispensable resource, December 17, 2002

By 

Geoff Puterbaugh (Chiang Mai, T. Suthep, A. Muang Thailand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Encyclopedia of Homosexuality (2 Volume Set, Volumes 1 and 2) (Hardcover)

No gay scholar -- in fact, no student of human sexuality -- can afford to be without this massive two-volume masterpiece. The scholarship in these two volumes is nonpareil, the information at times overwhelming. Nothing like this has ever been published. Particularly refreshing is the freedom from cant, advocacy, and gay sloganeering: regard these volumes as the "Nothing but the facts, ma'am" side of gay studies, and you won't go far wrong.

Highest possible recommendation!

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very recommendable book, July 14, 2001

By 

SEBASTIANVS "libra64" (TOKYO Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Encyclopedia of Homosexuality (Hardcover)

This encyclopedia is the best one of all enkyklopaidiai on the topic=homosexuality. Very well documented and researched , in addition well edited. I recommend the encyclopedia for everybody. Howevwer, I hope Mr. Dynes will edit a new revised-version of "THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HOMOSEXUALITY", because many books about homosexuality have been published since 1991 and I'd like to read more comprehensive & world-wide articles of histories, literatures , customs & traditions of all of the world.

5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a comprehensive survey, November 25, 2003

By 

"sfoster29" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Encyclopedia of Homosexuality (Hardcover)

This is probably the most comprehensive survey of the subject in a single work, and it is unfortunate that it has not been updated. Many of the articles are written by the editors, i.e., Wayne Dynes, William Percy (brother of Walker Percy) and "Warren Johansson" (Joseph Wallfield, died 1994). There are some leading themes or theories that run throughout this massive work, one of which is to blame Christianity for all of the problems encountered by modern homosexuals. This puts this work in opposition to John Boswell's theory that the Catholic church was slow to adopt a hostile attitude. Homosexuality is taken as a given, and all hostile theories are refuted. It does not occur to the editors that all human (and indeed, gendered) bodies are heterosexually designed, and homosexual acts are thus performed with bodies which are not designed with such acts in mind. This objection is more or less ignored. The article on Burma had nothing to say, so I wonder why it was included. Much else could be said about so massive a work, but let me say that it is worth reading as long as the reader keeps an open mind.