Why Rats Laugh and Jellyfish Sleep
And Other Enchanting Stories of Evolution
by David Stipp
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Pub Date Sep 23 2025 | Archive Date Sep 23 2025
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Description
This engaging tour through evolution’s mysteries is backyard biophilia at its most entertaining and enlightening
Why do cats live longer than dogs? Why do so many different kinds of bees have yellow stripes? Why can we smell a skunk a mile away, much farther than we can detect the strongest perfume? Such questions offer puzzles about creatures' evolved traits. Besides inviting us into joys of curiosity, they focus our attention on beguiling designs that have been millions of years in the making.In this lively, lucid book, science writer David Stipp brings a Darwinian lens to bear on evolutionary curiosities including house sparrows’ ubiquity, caffeine as the perfect poison, cannibalism among bumblebees, and the defenselessness of sleep—among many others. By revealing the hidden depths of the ordinary, Why Rats Laugh and Jellyfish Sleep demonstrates that countless fascinating conundrums exist all around us, and that taking note of them is the very best way to connect to the natural world.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781643264875 |
| PRICE | $30.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 320 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Zoe L, Reviewer
3.75/5 rounded up!
I love learning seemingly random things, especially about animals! And I wanted to read this book because one of my all-time favorite non-fiction books is Vanishing Treasures by Katherine Rundell, another book about animals (that one is about endangered animals though, this is more random questions and facts).
This book covers a large range of questions, ranging from "why do skunks smell?" and "why are some bumblebees cannibals?" There is so much to learn from this book, I especially liked learning about how humans play such a role in the evolution of other animals (for better or for worse). I have so many fun facts saved and I cannot wait to share them with people. I love annoying friends and family with fun facts!
Stylistically, this was conversational but also a bit dense, but not too dense! I could read this without loosing track of what was being explained to me, but I do prefer a very casual and conversational non-fiction. So that is totally a personal preference thing!
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.
Reviewer 1697133
Why Rats Laugh and Jellyfish Sleep is like a nature documentary hosted by your super nerdy (and slightly unhinged) friend. David Stipp explains why sparrows are squatters, caffeine is plant warfare, and jellyfish somehow sleep without brains. It’s weird, fascinating, and makes you question everything—including your morning coffee. Perfect for anyone who likes their science with a side of “wait… what?!”
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