Why Rats Laugh and Jellyfish Sleep: And Other Enchanting Stories of Evolution

by David Stipp

For fans of accessible, fun popular science comes an exploration of evolution’s quirkiest puzzles and most enduring mysteries

Why do cats live longer than dogs? Why do 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 can be seen as puzzles about creatures' evolved traits. Besides offering standing invitations to the joys of curiosity, they focus our attention on beguiling designs that have been millions of years in the making. Indeed, looking at the living world through a Darwinian lens reveals its colossal depth in a way that's all too easy to miss in the age of endless distractions. And you need only summon up your inner 7-year-old—the kid spilling over with naive / brilliant why questions—to notice such puzzles, and to find yourself slowing down and looking deeper while considering possible solutions. 

In this lively, lucid book, science writer David Stipp ponders Darwinian puzzles about nine familiar creatures and things—bumblebees, dogs, sparrows, caffeine, earthworms, and sleep, among others—to show how rewarding it can be to look at nature in this deeper way. By revealing hidden depths of the ordinary, The Everyday Darwinist shows not only that fascinating intricacies lie just beneath the natural world's familiar surfaces, but also that noticing them lets us connect dots that in many cases we didn't realize existed. This is backyard biophilia at its most entertaining and enlightening. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Nature, Evolution, Biology, Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 23, 2025

Reviews

[Cozy Puppy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Stipp’s “Why Rats Laugh and Jellyfish Sleep?” is an intriguing book for those with an insatiable curiosity for animals and nature. Stipp poses different questions for each chapter, diving into scientific facts and research for curious minds. For anyone who finds biology dry, this book is a refreshing and fun journey into some of the most bizarre and quirky aspects of the natural world.

Stipp’s strength is his ability to translate scientific concepts into compelling, easy-to-read stories. With witty and clever prose, he unpacks the surprising truths behind the title—from the neurological basis for laughter in rats to the ancient rest cycles of jellyfish. As a dog lover, you'll find the chapter on "How Did Wolves Become Man’s Best Friend?" especially fascinating, as it offers a fresh perspective on this incredible evolutionary journey. Coffee aficionados might be surprised by the chapter, “Why is Caffeine the Most Delightful of Poisons?", while others might be keen to understand the “why” behind the unusual odor of a skunk.

This is an informative read, reminding readers that evolution is a continuous, imaginative process full of paradoxes and brilliant ingenuity. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable read that will give you a new sense of wonder about the world.

Thank you to Timber Press, Workman Publishing, Hachette Book Group, and NetGalley, for an advanced reader copy of this book by author David Stipp.

[Joel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received my copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program, which has no influence on my review.

This nonfiction book poses some interesting questions in its 9 chapters. The book is based on the author pondering questions about why certain animals evolved the way they did, and he goes in depth to sate his curiosity and to share his findings with the reader.

The chapters deal with why skunks smell so pungent, the invasive nature of house sparrows, the possibility of earthworms acting with intelligence, and more.

I'll admit, I was almost immediately irritated when I saw chapter 7 boasted the title: "Has (sic) Human Smarts Rubbed Off on Rats?"

I had issues with the writing style throughout. In a 7-page introduction, there were 2 footnotes and 9 endnotes. I turned to the back for the first few (as I recall, at least one chapter had more than 70 endnotes), but then gave it up.

It often reads like a college student's term paper, with lots of referencing of sources and short groupings of facts being used to promote an observation or theory, and this was the biggest turn-off for me. Some of the chapters, including the one on rats (which have been some of the best pets I've ever had), were more interesting than others, but I felt like there was something worthwhile in most of the chapters, even if I wasn't entertained by the method in which the information was presented.

Overall, the lack of enjoyment coupled with the tedium of reading what felt like a term paper negatively impacted my score. This was "just okay."

2 out of 5 stars.

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Stevie · Rating 5 out of 5]

¿Por qué las ratas ríen y las medusas duermen? Escrito por David Stripp, con Ilustraciones de Quentin Stripp es un libro que parece una carta de amor a la evolución (y a Darwin jeje).
Este libro me lo he leído de a poquito, un capítulo al día, siento que así la información la asimilo de mejor forma, no porque sea denso, el autor explica las cosas de una forma muy fácil de comprender, sino porque son temas diversos.
Todo el libro está lleno de datos sobre diferentes animales y el porqué evolucionaron en ciertos aspectos y como aprender esto algunas veces nos ayuda a nosotros a entender nuestra propia evolución.
Mi capítulo favorito fue por mucho el que trato acerca de los hábitos del sueño de diferentes especies y el porqué nosotros probablemente desarrollamos los cronotipos diferentes. Es un tema que me interesa mucho.

Agradezco a Netgalley y a la editorial Timber Press por permitirme leer una copia avanzada de este libro. Definitivamente, considero que es un libro que merece mucho tener en físico por la preciosa portada y porque contiene muchos pies de página que de manera digital se me hace complicado leer.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars What a wonderful book. Over nine chapters and subjects, Stripp invites us to see how animals, including ourselves, came to be what we are today. Did we teach wolves to be dogs, or did woles teach us to invite other species into their family. What constitutes consciousness? And why do animals without brains, sleep? I was honestly pulled up short when the book ended, as I was ready to continue on. I truly enjoy authors who can make complex scientific ideas accessible to the non-scientist.

[Michelle | Simply in the Moment · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book Why Rats Laugh and Jellyfish Sleep addresses a range of questions about animals. Questions that some may have wondered about, but didn't want to perform the research to find the answers. Some of the questions posted by the author were "Has Humon Smarts Rubbed Off on Rats?" "Is Sleep the Biggest Mistake Evolution Ever Made?" and "Why Is Caffeine the Most Delightful of Poisons? "

The author includes personal stories on each topic, along with an extensive amount of information when answering each question. Each question is a new chapter, so the explanations are very detailed. The author has done a thorough job of researching each topic.

The book can feel more like a textbook for school than a book I'd pick up for entertainment. At times, all the information felt a little overwhelming. If you love science, this would be a great book for you. But if you were looking for a book that provides fun facts, without all the detailed explanations, then this probably wouldn't be the book to grab.

I appreciated the author's research and detail on each topic. He provided a plethora of information for eager learners. His writing was easy to read, with it written in a conversational tone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[ancientreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd have liked to give this a detailed review, but the ARC was available only in a format that doesn't enable annotation. So I'm mostly limited to saying that David Stipp is an excellent asker of questions about evolutionary mysteries, and that he writes brightly and vividly about the actual and/or potential and/or possible answers.

The evolution of domestic dogs is the one topic here that I had much pre-existing knowledge of; I'm pleased to report that many of the questions Stipp poses had me saying, "Wait! Why didn't I think of that?" -- i.e., Stipp is a dab hand at saying things that seem blindingly obvious as soon as he's said them but that may never have occurred to you before.

The notes and bibliography are reassuringly long and detailed; as a bonus each chapter opens with a beautiful pencil illustration. Just a pleasing book all around for any reader feeling inquisitive about some of the mysteries and seeming paradoxes life on Earth has brought us. Thanks to Timber Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

[gaby.readsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book filled with fun science facts and evolutionary puzzles that had me learn a lot of cool information that I would not have necessarily found on my own. I enjoyed this a lot and I liked that the topics never felt overwhelming to read and were explained in a thorough manner without getting too technical. I loved the author's curiosity for these topics and how rational his conclusions were when he went and researched the topics that interested him. I think my favorite parts where finding out more about Caffeine plants, earthworms and how he made me like Rats now even though I have always found them icky that chapter on rats changed my mind about them as I was not aware of all the marvelous things they can do. Overall a very fun short nonfiction book if you are interested in evolutionary questions its a fun time.

I received an eARC thanks to Netgalley and Timber Press. All opinions are my own.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of weird stories of evolution are pieced together with a collection of short stories focused on random stories of science that pair with evolution. The animals range from the ones in the title: rats and jellyfish but also talk about bees, skunks, sparrows, and earthworms.

Each was a short piece that mixed an odd question and made attempts to return to the Darwinist theories. There are others that are a little stronger like another recent read: The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog: And Other Serious Discoveries of Silly Science however for the science-loving readers, it fits the bill.

[Debra Daniels-Zeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Stipp shares some interesting, entertaining stories about animals while weaving in a lot of Darwinian theory. Each chapter dives into a different topic, reinforcing the main Darwinian theme. I found the Darwin information tended to sound and feel like a lecturing textbook but I enjoyed the stories about jellyfish (and why are they known as the cockroaches of the ocean? I didn't hear the answer to that one, but maybe in a future book) and why skunks have such an awful odor. I'm glad I had the audio and not the book because the textbookish sections put me to sleep, but the nature stories perked my interest.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It provided a great look at evolution with thorough yet plain-language explanations. I found the writing to be snappy, well-paced, and light-hearted. Each chapter started with a great illustration that helped increase my engagement with the book. I also found the writing to be poetic at times without getting bogged down with excess formality. Overall, this was a great read and I recommend it for anyone interested in biology. Thank you to Netgalley and Timber Press for the advance reader copy.

[KDub · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 🌟

This was a fun one!

Covering interesting topics like “Is Sleep the Biggest Mistake Evolution Ever Made?” and “Why do Some Bumblebees Go Cannibalistic?”, this novel takes a fun dive into various questions about the species around us (including humans).

It’s written in an accessible, pop-science way that is easy for most people to read. While I learned a lot of neat, random facts, I think I would have absorbed them better as an audiobook.

Recommended for readers who love fun and informative science nonfiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Press for the eARC.

[claudesbookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you net galley and the publisher for this arc :)

I’ve been loving non fiction lately, especially science history, and this one was no different!! Each chapter covers a different topic, like earth worms, the grandmother hypothesis, or how dogs were domesticated. I liked some chapters more than others, but that’s to be expected. Either way, they were all interesting and well written. Definitely recommend if you like natural history!!
5 stars

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an interesting and insightful book! I love nature facts and learning about things I didn't even think of, like how do insects sleep, are rats getting smarter, what's that smell (it's a skunk), and...grandmas? Although some parts felt a little dense with information, the writing was great and kept you very engaged through out each section. If you are a science lover, I really recommend picking this up!

Thank you to Timber Press and Netgalley for the advance reader copy!

[kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded to 5 ⭐️

Delightful and inquisitive. I love that the idea is laid out like a quest from the beginning, like a game we're now all playing as we read: Why? And what advantage could it be creating? Stipp really works to not only answer the original question at hand in each chapter, but also trips into other evolutionary quandaries that require investigation. He fosters wonder and curiosity, two things we all could exercise a little more of.

**I received my copy from Netgalley.

[Marli Backhaus · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book covers some interesting topics, the author drags on and sometimes goes into irrelevant tangents. I was hoping each different evolutionary topic would be a quick read, but they are each 20+ pages or so that are so in-depth that I quickly lost interest each time I tried to read a new section.

[Poppy Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love trivia and this was right up my alley. I had no deal that most of the things in this book actually occurred in real life and I’m sure I’ll be driving hubby nuts 🌰 in no time flat sharing all I learned from this book.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Packed full of interesting information including sleep in animals to bumblebees. Enjoyable, evidence based book, thoroughly entertaining. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

***.5

A somewhat haphazard collection of neat animal stuff, covering topics like caffeine toxicity, house sparrow proliferation, and earthworm cognition.

[MKF]

DNF.

A dry somewhat difficult to read book about animal evolution that feels like I am reading a textbook. Maybe one day I will return to but for now I need a break from it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like discovering the little things in life than this is your read. Think you know the common earthworm, think again. Do you know why bees differ in size? Read on.

[Elisa Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hi! I sell books and I love reading them. You can contact me on Instagram. Thanks!

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book looks at certain animals and ponders why they have developed certain traits. For example, why do skunks stink? This book appeals more to science fans than casual readers.

[Red Goddess Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful collection stories, facts and studies regarding the evolution of many different animals. My personal feelings about this book was although factually fascinating, I found the delivery much dryer than the books like this that I typically enjoy. It almost felt like a book a cool instructor might give his class to read in a college course. The information though was delivered in a very understandable and digestible way. An enjoyable and recommended read.

[Dozelina 666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is weird in the best way. It's like a super nerdy friend invited you over, fed you fun facts about animal behavior, and occasionally dropped wild surprises like “octopuses might have nightmares” and “bumblebees could be cannibals.” (Excuse me??)

I had no idea sparrows were little invasive chaos agents (in my defence I don't live in US). Or that cuttlefish become more visible when they sleep. Or that spiders on caffeine build the worst webs imaginable... this part hit especially close since my favorite animals are...oh well.... spiders 🕷️.

Also, shoutout to the earthworm/humus moment... reading that while staring at a plate of Arabic food (hummus) made me laugh harder than I should admit 😂.

Is it info-dense sometimes? Yep. Did I mind? Not really. I learned so much cool, random stuff and had a great time doing it. Solid 4 stars. Big thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the ARC—I’m so glad they granted my wish!

[Red Goddess Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful collection stories, facts and studies regarding the evolution of many different animals. My personal feelings about this book was although factually fascinating, I found the delivery much dryer than the books like this that I typically enjoy. It almost felt like a book a cool instructor might give his class to read in a college course. The information though was delivered in a very understandable and digestible way. An enjoyable and recommended read.