Among the most acclaimed books of 2002, named one of the 50 Best Non-Fiction Books of 2002 by Publishers Weekly, The Soul Beneath the Skin explores the variety of social and ethical experiments in gay men's lives, and their implications both for gay men and for society at large. The book looks closely at seven patterns of behaviour widely practiced by gay men but rarely acknowledged, including diverse forms of erotic play and non-violent public culture among others, and notes that these innovations, similar to those of many religions, add up to profound new ethics.