  We discuss the high lithium abundances in the secondary stars of X-ray
binaries. We show that no lithium production in these stars is necessary, and
that the abundances can be explained simply due to the tidally locked rotation
of the stars, which lead naturally to slower lithium destruction rates. The
differences in abundances of CVs' secondaries from those of LMXBs had
previously been put forth as evidence that the compact object was related to
the lithium abundance, but this scenario also accounts for the lower lithium
abundances in the secondary stars in cataclysmic variable systems (CVs) than in
low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), since these stars have typically lived much
longer before becoming tidally locked short period systems. We point out that
if this scenario is correct, then the globular cluster X-ray binaries' donor
stars should, as a class, show less lithium enhancement relative to other stars
of the same spectral type in the clusters than the field X-ray binaries' donor
stars show.
