Mark Leyner & Dr. Billy Goldberg

One writer was hailed the “cult author of the ’90s” by The New York Times and Rolling Stone; the other is an emergency-medicine specialist in Manhattan. Their link? An insatiable curiosity of the oddities of the human body. Their project? “Why Do Men Have Nipples? Hundreds of Questions You’d Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini” (Three Rivers Press, 2005).

Reaching No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller List en route to a stunning million-plus copies sold, the book provides factual, hysterical explanations to the biggest questions about the human body. Leyner and Goldberg clearly aren’t alone in their thirst for physiological knowledge.

“People tend to know so little about their bodies, as compared to their cars or their laptops. When I worked in a pharmacy in Washington, D.C., people would ask me medical questions all the time. I was just a 22-year-old cashier.”–Mark Leyner

The duo’s latest offering, “Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex? More Questions You’d Only Ask Your Doctor After Your Third Whiskey Sour” (Three Rivers Press, 2006), also shot to the top ranks of The New York Times charts within days of release. The sequel continues the biological road trip–this time highlighting the differences between the sexes–and provides the lowdown on all things anatomical, medical, sexual and nutritional that most people fear asking out loud.

“Why do you have a ‘bionic’ sense of smell when you’re pregnant?”

Is it true that you cannot die in a dream?”

“Does falling in love really cause chemical changes in your brain?”

The success of Leyner and Goldberg’s presentation lies in their ability to answer the most awkward and personal questions in a light-hearted, comical-yet-enlightening manner. Audiences are instantly put at ease by their down-to-earth and humorous perspective of the peculiarities of the human body. The passion for sharing their knowledge is evident in an enthusiastic presentation that not only entertains but also helps to promote a more-positive self-image.

“We realized that the thing that made our partnership work was our fanatical mutual admiration, our boundless love of arcane medical matters, and our capacity to talk endlessly about our own insecurities and desires.”—Dr. Billy Goldberg

AT A GLANCE: Mark Leyner established himself as a top-line subversive young writer with his novel “My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist” (Harmony Books, 1990) and frequently authors the “Shouts and Murmurs” column of The New Yorker. He resides in Hoboken, N.J., with his wife, Mercedes, his daughter, Gabrielle and his African Dwarf Frog, Ike.

Dr. Billy Goldberg is an emergency-room physician on faculty at the NYU School of Medicine, and an Assistant Director in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Bellevue Hospital and NYU Hospital in New York City. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, Jessica, and son, Brody.

In constant demand to share their unique approach to medical knowledge, Leyner and Goldberg’s media appearances have run the gamut from ABC (“20/20,” “Good Morning America” and NBC (“Today”), to National Public Radio and Playboy Radio on Sirius Satellite.