What do you think?
Rate this book
Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins: A Trip Through the World of Animal Intoxication
Oné R. Pagán, author of Strange Survivors, returns with a book full of unforgettable stories and odd facts about the surprising cravings a wide variety of animals indulge when it's time to unwind.
From the cup of coffee that jumpstarts the day to dangerously addictive drugs, the recreational use of plants with psychoactive properties has a long history among humans.
But, as with many things, it turns out that other animals got there first.
From parrots to primates, consuming medicinal chemicals is an instinctive behavior that helps countless organisms fight infection and treat disease. But the similarities don’t end there: Like us, many creatures also consume substances that have no apparent benefit…except for inducing intoxication. In fact, animals have been using drugs for recreational purposes since prehistoric times. We may even have animals to thank for the idea—legend says that coffee was discovered by observing the behavior of goats that had eaten it.
In his previous book, Strange Survivors, author and biologist Oné R. Pagán introduced readers to some of the truly bizarre strategies animals use to survive in the cutthroat world of natural selection. Now, in Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins, he sheds light on the surprising cravings they indulge when it’s time to unwind.
In this book, you’ll get an eye-opening glimpse into the mind-altering behavior of the non-human members of the animal kingdom, spanning insects to elephants—including the dolphin species that apparently likes to pass around an intoxicating pufferfish as if they were sharing a joint.
Combining fascinating science with humor and enthusiasm, Pagán’s latest is full of the kind of unforgettable stories and odd facts that you’ll find yourself repeating to everyone you meet. From fruit fly happy hour to the evolutionary reasons behind nature’s drugs, Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins takes you on a trip through the colorful world of animal intoxication—and along the way, explores what this science reveals about the surprising connections between all the world’s creatures.
From the cup of coffee that jumpstarts the day to dangerously addictive drugs, the recreational use of plants with psychoactive properties has a long history among humans.
But, as with many things, it turns out that other animals got there first.
From parrots to primates, consuming medicinal chemicals is an instinctive behavior that helps countless organisms fight infection and treat disease. But the similarities don’t end there: Like us, many creatures also consume substances that have no apparent benefit…except for inducing intoxication. In fact, animals have been using drugs for recreational purposes since prehistoric times. We may even have animals to thank for the idea—legend says that coffee was discovered by observing the behavior of goats that had eaten it.
In his previous book, Strange Survivors, author and biologist Oné R. Pagán introduced readers to some of the truly bizarre strategies animals use to survive in the cutthroat world of natural selection. Now, in Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins, he sheds light on the surprising cravings they indulge when it’s time to unwind.
In this book, you’ll get an eye-opening glimpse into the mind-altering behavior of the non-human members of the animal kingdom, spanning insects to elephants—including the dolphin species that apparently likes to pass around an intoxicating pufferfish as if they were sharing a joint.
Combining fascinating science with humor and enthusiasm, Pagán’s latest is full of the kind of unforgettable stories and odd facts that you’ll find yourself repeating to everyone you meet. From fruit fly happy hour to the evolutionary reasons behind nature’s drugs, Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins takes you on a trip through the colorful world of animal intoxication—and along the way, explores what this science reveals about the surprising connections between all the world’s creatures.
290 pages, Paperback
Published November 16, 2021
25 people are currently reading
2634 people want to read
About the author
Oné R. Pagán
6 books46 followersI am a husband, a father of three and a baldie who also happens to be (I'd like to think) a pretty good University Professor and Scientist. My undergraduate degree is in General Science, my MS is in Biochemistry and my PhD is in Pharmacology, with an emphasis on Neurobiology. I love science! (do I really need to say it?).
I blog at baldscientist.com, and I am the host of The Baldscientist Podcast.
I am the author of three books, and a science fiction story.
The opinions expressed in my blog and podcast are mine alone. They do not represent the views of my employer, my wife, my children, my parents & siblings, or Chuck Darwin…
I blog at baldscientist.com, and I am the host of The Baldscientist Podcast.
I am the author of three books, and a science fiction story.
The opinions expressed in my blog and podcast are mine alone. They do not represent the views of my employer, my wife, my children, my parents & siblings, or Chuck Darwin…
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 18, 2022
Review 2.5 stars. There are no stoned dolphins. It is merely a hypothesis that dolphins nibble on puffer fish and treat them gently because the deadly nerve poison that kills people gets them stoned. Stoned? They have been observed as, "mesmerised by their own reflection", but the authors admits they do not know enough about dolphin physiology to know if the dolphin stoned for sure. DNF.
There were several problems with this book. The first was the title leads you to believe it is going to be an anecdote-heavy, probably quite light science book. It is, in fact, the very opposite, it is science-heavy with the occasional interesting animal story, but too few. From the author's GR bio
I like science-heavy books, but scientists like, for instance, Carl Zimmer andAshley Ward are better at writing for the general, science-interested public they balance the science with the story and are, in any case, wonderful authors. This doesn't mean that this is a bad book, it just means that I was absolutely the wrong reader of it. YMMV.
__________
Notes on Reading I picked up this book thinking it would be heavy on the anecdotes with a little science explaining the whys and wherefores of why chimps love alcohol but not hangovers, and how exactly a dolphin gets stoned. It's the other way round, it's very heavy on the science and short of anecdotes. The author says he is writing the book as if he were having a chat with the reader. That's all well and good but he goes on and on and on. It's not bad enough to dnf, and might well improve, but even if it didn't I really want to know how dolphins get stoned and if this is like a mass rave, or they just go off and do it with a few mates, the equivalent of smoking a joint and hanging out with the homies?
I did dnf it in the end.
There were several problems with this book. The first was the title leads you to believe it is going to be an anecdote-heavy, probably quite light science book. It is, in fact, the very opposite, it is science-heavy with the occasional interesting animal story, but too few. From the author's GR bio
My undergraduate degree is in General Science, my MS is in Biochemistry and my PhD is in Pharmacology, with an emphasis on Neurobiology. I love science! (do I really need to say it?).. That title and then the contents feel like bait & switch to me. I think a more apt title would have been, "Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins: A Scientific Explication of the World of Animal Intoxication.
I like science-heavy books, but scientists like, for instance, Carl Zimmer andAshley Ward are better at writing for the general, science-interested public they balance the science with the story and are, in any case, wonderful authors. This doesn't mean that this is a bad book, it just means that I was absolutely the wrong reader of it. YMMV.
__________
Notes on Reading I picked up this book thinking it would be heavy on the anecdotes with a little science explaining the whys and wherefores of why chimps love alcohol but not hangovers, and how exactly a dolphin gets stoned. It's the other way round, it's very heavy on the science and short of anecdotes. The author says he is writing the book as if he were having a chat with the reader. That's all well and good but he goes on and on and on. It's not bad enough to dnf, and might well improve, but even if it didn't I really want to know how dolphins get stoned and if this is like a mass rave, or they just go off and do it with a few mates, the equivalent of smoking a joint and hanging out with the homies?
I did dnf it in the end.
November 21, 2021
There is an old joke about certain kinds of people: if you ask them the time, they’ll tell you how to make a watch. In Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins, Oné Pagàn poses the question about animals behaving badly, but then spends two thirds of his book laying groundwork, talking pharmacology. It’s a bait and switch that becomes more and frustrating as readers search in vain for the beef.
Pagàn is pharmacologist, proudly so. He adores chemical structure, and the book is filled with his drawings of them. He expends a great deal of energy on how plants develop their poisons, why they do it, what the poisons attract that might aid the cause, and on and on. There is particular emphasis on Neanderthals and how they might have discovered alcohol and enjoyed its effects. He describes the fermentation process, and how that makes alcohol available to many species not normally associated with intoxication. He profiles endless drugs, from nicotine and caffeine to ecstasy and LSD, how they work and what they damage. There is also far too much on the mating rituals of various insects and birds. All of it is interesting if that’s the kind of book the reader sought, but almost none of it tells the story of what animals do to get high, when they do it, why they do it, and the effects. Which is presumably why any reader would be attracted to this title at all.
Unfortunately, this background lecture goes on for an incredible 160 pages. There are instances of the dreaded words “But first…”, as Pagàn takes a u-turn and goes further backwards or sideways, avoiding the alleged topic at hand. After this intensive and extensive groundwork prepares (or beats up) the reader, the reward is just 80 pages of stories of animals getting high. And far too many of the stories are simply scientists feeding them drugs (mainly LSD, which does not even occur in nature) just to see what happens. Which is not so much fascinating as criminal.
All the reader actually needs to know is that overly ripe fruit ferments, right on the plant, creating ethanol, which we know as alcohol. Various insects, birds and animals enjoy it. Meanwhile, numerous plants from weeds to trees produce toxins that can kill damaging insects, or attract their enemies. Some can be considered intoxicants to them. “In many instances, the compounds that plants make are not about brute force but finesse. In other words, you do not always have to kill your enemies; sometimes it is enough just to confuse them,” he says. Drunkenness is confusion in the animal world, and that is of value to some lifeforms somewhere.
Finally, around page 165, Pagàn turns to the animal world full time. At this point the reader is starving for any scrap or crumb at all relevant, and I could at long last start making notes. Here is what I learned:
-Honeybees are mentally sharper after drinking caffeine. They can also hold their liquor better than humans. A man would have to drink four gallons of wine or beer in ten seconds to equal the drinking prowess of a honeybee.
-Bumble bees on the other hand, can get drunk, erratic and woozy. There are some reports that guard bees keep them away from the colony, which runs on tight performance rules.
-Chimpanzees scarf down fermenting fruit like there’s no tomorrow. They love to get high. Hangovers nothwithstanding.
-Drunk horses lose their poise and balance and fall over. Cows take longer to get drunk, not that they make a habit of it; they’re grass eaters.
-With ethanol, male fruit flies get hyperactive, but females get sedated. In the absence of active females, drunken males will try to mate with each other in long “conga lines”. It doesn’t work well.
-Male birds turned down for mating like to hit the bottle and drown their sorrows.
-Elephants are cheap dates. They lack the genes that provide tolerance to intoxicants. So even though they can be a massive 13000 pounds, a little ethanol goes a long way to getting them out of control drunk, roaring, swaying, and stumbling.
-Giving an elephant LSD can result in it being unable to cope with freaking out, and it will die, either in spite of or because of efforts to revive it.
-Giving dolphins LSD is pointless. It has no effect. They do not seek LSD, and it is not available underwater.
-Flatworms twist and contort when given alcohol. Because, let’s face it, that’s all they can do.
-Octopi become more sociable when Ecstasy is added to their water tank. But octopi do not seek intoxicants.
-Cedar waxwings will gorge on the fermenting fruit of pepper trees until their livers burst, and drop dead on the spot or drunkenly fly into windows or walls with the same result.
-Zebra finches sound drunk when they consume ethanol, slurring syllables in their songs.
-Coating dead insects with toxins and hanging them on webs will result in the spider getting, if not drunk, at least erratic. But they don’t feed on intoxicants on their own, being carnivores.
Not much of a payoff for all the prep involved.
Then after all this, the conclusion, which would be very hard to imagine from the preceding pages, is simply avoided. Instead, there are three paragraphs that basically say thank you and good night.
Pagàn is very chatty. He tosses in corny (Dad) jokes repeatedly, often the same ones, in attempts to make this book of science more accessible and informal. The book is loaded with footnotes of his side remarks, and they’re in the text itself as well. He comes to the point of apologizing for being silly. His goal was to make the book a “conversation”, he says. There are also numerous sidebars with not really relevant facts or stories, often referencing pop culture, like Star Trek and Nemo, a favorite of his.
The book is just all over the place, which is sad for two reasons. One, Pagàn is a genuine and sincere scientist who knows better, and two, I am a fan who expects much better than what he presents in Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins.
David Wineberg
Pagàn is pharmacologist, proudly so. He adores chemical structure, and the book is filled with his drawings of them. He expends a great deal of energy on how plants develop their poisons, why they do it, what the poisons attract that might aid the cause, and on and on. There is particular emphasis on Neanderthals and how they might have discovered alcohol and enjoyed its effects. He describes the fermentation process, and how that makes alcohol available to many species not normally associated with intoxication. He profiles endless drugs, from nicotine and caffeine to ecstasy and LSD, how they work and what they damage. There is also far too much on the mating rituals of various insects and birds. All of it is interesting if that’s the kind of book the reader sought, but almost none of it tells the story of what animals do to get high, when they do it, why they do it, and the effects. Which is presumably why any reader would be attracted to this title at all.
Unfortunately, this background lecture goes on for an incredible 160 pages. There are instances of the dreaded words “But first…”, as Pagàn takes a u-turn and goes further backwards or sideways, avoiding the alleged topic at hand. After this intensive and extensive groundwork prepares (or beats up) the reader, the reward is just 80 pages of stories of animals getting high. And far too many of the stories are simply scientists feeding them drugs (mainly LSD, which does not even occur in nature) just to see what happens. Which is not so much fascinating as criminal.
All the reader actually needs to know is that overly ripe fruit ferments, right on the plant, creating ethanol, which we know as alcohol. Various insects, birds and animals enjoy it. Meanwhile, numerous plants from weeds to trees produce toxins that can kill damaging insects, or attract their enemies. Some can be considered intoxicants to them. “In many instances, the compounds that plants make are not about brute force but finesse. In other words, you do not always have to kill your enemies; sometimes it is enough just to confuse them,” he says. Drunkenness is confusion in the animal world, and that is of value to some lifeforms somewhere.
Finally, around page 165, Pagàn turns to the animal world full time. At this point the reader is starving for any scrap or crumb at all relevant, and I could at long last start making notes. Here is what I learned:
-Honeybees are mentally sharper after drinking caffeine. They can also hold their liquor better than humans. A man would have to drink four gallons of wine or beer in ten seconds to equal the drinking prowess of a honeybee.
-Bumble bees on the other hand, can get drunk, erratic and woozy. There are some reports that guard bees keep them away from the colony, which runs on tight performance rules.
-Chimpanzees scarf down fermenting fruit like there’s no tomorrow. They love to get high. Hangovers nothwithstanding.
-Drunk horses lose their poise and balance and fall over. Cows take longer to get drunk, not that they make a habit of it; they’re grass eaters.
-With ethanol, male fruit flies get hyperactive, but females get sedated. In the absence of active females, drunken males will try to mate with each other in long “conga lines”. It doesn’t work well.
-Male birds turned down for mating like to hit the bottle and drown their sorrows.
-Elephants are cheap dates. They lack the genes that provide tolerance to intoxicants. So even though they can be a massive 13000 pounds, a little ethanol goes a long way to getting them out of control drunk, roaring, swaying, and stumbling.
-Giving an elephant LSD can result in it being unable to cope with freaking out, and it will die, either in spite of or because of efforts to revive it.
-Giving dolphins LSD is pointless. It has no effect. They do not seek LSD, and it is not available underwater.
-Flatworms twist and contort when given alcohol. Because, let’s face it, that’s all they can do.
-Octopi become more sociable when Ecstasy is added to their water tank. But octopi do not seek intoxicants.
-Cedar waxwings will gorge on the fermenting fruit of pepper trees until their livers burst, and drop dead on the spot or drunkenly fly into windows or walls with the same result.
-Zebra finches sound drunk when they consume ethanol, slurring syllables in their songs.
-Coating dead insects with toxins and hanging them on webs will result in the spider getting, if not drunk, at least erratic. But they don’t feed on intoxicants on their own, being carnivores.
Not much of a payoff for all the prep involved.
Then after all this, the conclusion, which would be very hard to imagine from the preceding pages, is simply avoided. Instead, there are three paragraphs that basically say thank you and good night.
Pagàn is very chatty. He tosses in corny (Dad) jokes repeatedly, often the same ones, in attempts to make this book of science more accessible and informal. The book is loaded with footnotes of his side remarks, and they’re in the text itself as well. He comes to the point of apologizing for being silly. His goal was to make the book a “conversation”, he says. There are also numerous sidebars with not really relevant facts or stories, often referencing pop culture, like Star Trek and Nemo, a favorite of his.
The book is just all over the place, which is sad for two reasons. One, Pagàn is a genuine and sincere scientist who knows better, and two, I am a fan who expects much better than what he presents in Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins.
David Wineberg
January 3, 2022
What a fun book! Great collection of stories about the influence of various drugs on animals. Some I've heard about before (I'm a biologist), most were new to me. Written in a clear and easy way, and very engaging. I also loved all the footnotes, like a conversation. The text is supported by nice drawings, diagrams and sometimes a photo. My favourite was of the spider webs, I won't spoil it, but a pretty surprising result! Sometimes I wonder why and how some biologists/researchers find out these things, and those questions are also answered in this book (the insect pain scale, haha!). Definitely recommended!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to read. Opinions are my honest thoughts.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to read. Opinions are my honest thoughts.
March 29, 2023
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
Well, this book isn't your typical read for sure. And while the author makes sure to put a disclaimer at the start of the book that he by no means intends to make light of substance abuse, this book is certainly the "nudge nudge wink wink" kind of read. From the very first pages it's clear that he will make every joke possible, puns included, about every little fact he will throw at you. And it's funny! The facts are also very curious, unexpected, and you definitely want to know about them. So quite probably, this will be a read you won't forget.
But it's not just a jumble of jokes and anecdotes about animals intoxicated - by no means. Admittedly, the style is anecdotal, but the author keeps up the main direction of what he's talking about in every chapter, and he covers a lot of ground. He introduces the main distinctions between intoxicants (for example, the rousing kind, such as caffeine, and the subduing kind, such as morphine). I found it perhaps the most interesting to read about how these chemicals even came to be (evolutionary reasons for them existing) and how various animals, us included, found their way to them. It's interesting how different substances affect animals differently, but it's even more interesting how it seems some of them affect vastly different animals the same way (for example, would you expect cocaine to do the same for a human's appetite and sex drive as it does for a cicada's? Me neither, but it does, apparently.)
I tend to think of animals as not so far off from us in many ways, because we're all very closely related genetically (as opposed to how human culture and especially religious culture often puts animals in a different group from us altogether) - but this book has made me feel even more as if the differences between us and most animals might be marked, but there is much more in common between us and them than we think, especially systematically - and that's fascinating. Of course, that's something most researchers are fully aware of, but I don't think it's a mainstream idea for laypeople. So this book may blow your mind in regards to that.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
Well, this book isn't your typical read for sure. And while the author makes sure to put a disclaimer at the start of the book that he by no means intends to make light of substance abuse, this book is certainly the "nudge nudge wink wink" kind of read. From the very first pages it's clear that he will make every joke possible, puns included, about every little fact he will throw at you. And it's funny! The facts are also very curious, unexpected, and you definitely want to know about them. So quite probably, this will be a read you won't forget.
But it's not just a jumble of jokes and anecdotes about animals intoxicated - by no means. Admittedly, the style is anecdotal, but the author keeps up the main direction of what he's talking about in every chapter, and he covers a lot of ground. He introduces the main distinctions between intoxicants (for example, the rousing kind, such as caffeine, and the subduing kind, such as morphine). I found it perhaps the most interesting to read about how these chemicals even came to be (evolutionary reasons for them existing) and how various animals, us included, found their way to them. It's interesting how different substances affect animals differently, but it's even more interesting how it seems some of them affect vastly different animals the same way (for example, would you expect cocaine to do the same for a human's appetite and sex drive as it does for a cicada's? Me neither, but it does, apparently.)
I tend to think of animals as not so far off from us in many ways, because we're all very closely related genetically (as opposed to how human culture and especially religious culture often puts animals in a different group from us altogether) - but this book has made me feel even more as if the differences between us and most animals might be marked, but there is much more in common between us and them than we think, especially systematically - and that's fascinating. Of course, that's something most researchers are fully aware of, but I don't think it's a mainstream idea for laypeople. So this book may blow your mind in regards to that.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
November 11, 2021
Full disclosure, I received an advanced review copy of the book from Dr. Pagán, and Dr. Pagán is slated to be a guest on my podcast in the near future.
Now onto the review.
As a lover of all things weird biology, this book was right up my alley. Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins is a collection of experiments and observations of the production of alcohol, caffeine, psychoactive drugs, and medicine/remedies in nature and the use of them by animals of all shapes and sizes.
This book discusses these relatively complex topics of but in an incredibly accessible way. I never felt that I needed to break out Google or a textbook to understand any of the information in the book.
One of my favorite topics in the book was how spiders built their webs when exposed to different drugs, illustrations of which are included and a super interesting to look at. This book is full of interesting stories like this, from octopuses on ecstasy to the US government trying to teach dolphins to talk by giving them LSD. This book covers loads of topics!
Overall, I love Oné's writing style and the accessibility of the book. I truly believe anyone can pick up this book without ever having to have set foot in a college level science class and I hope you too will love it as much as I do.
Now onto the review.
As a lover of all things weird biology, this book was right up my alley. Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins is a collection of experiments and observations of the production of alcohol, caffeine, psychoactive drugs, and medicine/remedies in nature and the use of them by animals of all shapes and sizes.
This book discusses these relatively complex topics of but in an incredibly accessible way. I never felt that I needed to break out Google or a textbook to understand any of the information in the book.
One of my favorite topics in the book was how spiders built their webs when exposed to different drugs, illustrations of which are included and a super interesting to look at. This book is full of interesting stories like this, from octopuses on ecstasy to the US government trying to teach dolphins to talk by giving them LSD. This book covers loads of topics!
Overall, I love Oné's writing style and the accessibility of the book. I truly believe anyone can pick up this book without ever having to have set foot in a college level science class and I hope you too will love it as much as I do.
November 19, 2021
A surprisingly in-depth scientific book about animals (including humans) and the use of alcohol and drugs "for the fun of it". The title made me think this would be stories about what people have witnessed and then some explanations what did or most likely did happen, but turns out I was wrong. There is a lot more science and descriptions of the processes behind it, and it is actually less about the different cases, more about the phenomena.
I found the story about cicadas to be fascinating. I also wished I would have finally found out the truth about elephants and marulas, but that seems to remain a mystery. Still, I found out a lot of interesting facts. I do quite often disagree with some methods, and giving elephants LSD or other drugs to see how they react feels just wrong. This is just one example. All in all an informative read!
I found the story about cicadas to be fascinating. I also wished I would have finally found out the truth about elephants and marulas, but that seems to remain a mystery. Still, I found out a lot of interesting facts. I do quite often disagree with some methods, and giving elephants LSD or other drugs to see how they react feels just wrong. This is just one example. All in all an informative read!
August 8, 2022
One Pagan can make science sing, and it sings through all the pages of this fascinating book about the enthusiasms of multiple creatures for “mind-altering” drugs. Intriguing quotations, entertaining anecdotes, and real science (even real scientific diagrams) await the reader. And real facts are couched in readable terms, making this an everyman’s guide to science history and the practice of biology. I love the images of spiderwebs made under various influences…, but no, I loved the whole book. I learned a lot, promptly forgot a lot too, and plan to read again to learn some more. But perhaps I’ll read some of the author’s other books first. As my first taste of his writing, this one has me hooked.
Disclosure: I met the author online, loved the title to the book, and can honestly say I really loved the book too.
Disclosure: I met the author online, loved the title to the book, and can honestly say I really loved the book too.
February 23, 2022
Worth a read. I enjoyed his book “Strange Survivors” as well.
November 16, 2021
This book was not only full of extremely precise information about the drugs present in nature and their evolution and the use/abuse/consumption of them by animals, but it was also narrated in an extremely entertaining way without becoming superficial, which testifies to the professionalism of the author and his ability to divulge information.
Questo libro non solo era pieno di informazioni estremamente precise sulle sostanze stupefacenti presenti in natura e della loro evoluzione e dell'uso/abuso/consumo di esse da parte degli animali, ma era anche raccontato in modo estremamente divertente senza diventare superficiale a testimonianza della professionalitá dell'autore e della sua capacitá di divulgatore.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Questo libro non solo era pieno di informazioni estremamente precise sulle sostanze stupefacenti presenti in natura e della loro evoluzione e dell'uso/abuso/consumo di esse da parte degli animali, ma era anche raccontato in modo estremamente divertente senza diventare superficiale a testimonianza della professionalitá dell'autore e della sua capacitá di divulgatore.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
November 22, 2021
An amusing and informative foray into the origins of drugs. Oné R. Pagán weaves an intricate, but well-researched explanation of how and why drugs exist. Concepts of psychology, economics, animal behavior, and history are touched upon to highlight how these substances come to be seen in a positive or negative light. Pagán masterfully explains difficult concepts in ways a layperson can understand with brilliant analogies and amusing anecdotes. My only quibble was his translation of "Über Coca"...which, the way it is written means "About Coca" and not "supreme/fantastic coca" as implied by the author. An informative and amusing read that reminded me much of the writing style of Bill Bryson.
January 4, 2022
Humanity’s proclivity to think ourselves above nature has led us to miss the fact that we aren’t the only intelligent creatures and that we share more in common with the rest of the animal kingdom than - perhaps - we’d like to think. Science’s recognition of this truth has spawned a vast collection of books on animal (and, for that matter, plant) intelligence as well as the other traits we share in common with different species. This book carves out an interesting niche in this literature by discussing how other creatures use psychoactive substances (i.e. what we think of as “drugs and alcohol.”) While people tend to think that we are alone not only with respect to intelligence, but also with respect to our vices, it turns out this doesn’t seem to be the case. Of course, there’s a lot we don’t know about dolphins that play with blowfish or monkeys on magic mushrooms – e.g. what their internal experience of the substance is like, and to what degree consumption is purposeful versus accidental, but there is an increasing number of studies that suggest other species use drugs, and like it. The book also delves into the role plants play, particularly in producing substances that have psychoactive effects.
This book is humorous (the material is certainly there) and intriguing. It’s an easy pop science read, and avoids becoming too bogged down in the minutiae of biochemistry. That said, it does include graphics, such as chemical diagrams of psychoactive molecules, and does have to dip its toe into concepts of biology and chemistry. If you find the topic intriguing, you should give it a read.
This book is humorous (the material is certainly there) and intriguing. It’s an easy pop science read, and avoids becoming too bogged down in the minutiae of biochemistry. That said, it does include graphics, such as chemical diagrams of psychoactive molecules, and does have to dip its toe into concepts of biology and chemistry. If you find the topic intriguing, you should give it a read.
November 12, 2021
I loved this book. Dr. Pagan is an outstanding science communicator. He explains all the science clearly and in a conversational and friendly tone. It’s more like having a conversation than reading a book. The book shows a great sense of humor, that extends to even the footnotes, which to me, are a must-read. And the puns - I loved the puns. One of the endnotes, on plant neurobiology, is actually a discussion of the philosophy of science and is so important, that it belongs in the main part of the book, even if it is slightly off-topic. I have now read all of Dr. Pagan’s books and they are all fabulous. Thank you to Netgalley and BenBella Books for the advance reader copy.
January 23, 2022
Dr. Oné R. Pagán uniquely manages to weave a wonderful story that will have you reading from beginning to end. Dr. Pagán employs particular experiments, facts, and analogies to explain the complexities of intoxications in the animal kingdom. He uses cool dad jokes and daily-life examples to engage the reader in the story. I also enjoyed his ability to connect the science with its equally important socio-historical background in most of his tales. In short, a fascinating introduction to the world of animal intoxication from the lens of pharmacology. If you are interested in learning more about the peculiar behaviors of the animal world from a scientific standpoint while also having fun at the same time, I recommend to read this book!
April 20, 2022
Reviewed for Foreword Books Indies Awards.
Hugely misleading title. This book was more about scientists intentionally inflicting drugs on animals, rather than animals choosing to get high. Some of the stories were interesting, but overall it just didn't have enough substantive content to really justify the book. Moreover, the author really tried his best to create humor, but it resulted in a lot of non sequitur footnotes and roundabout trips to make a strained joke. Please just stick to the content--intoxicated animals can be funny enough on their own, without added "jokes".
Hugely misleading title. This book was more about scientists intentionally inflicting drugs on animals, rather than animals choosing to get high. Some of the stories were interesting, but overall it just didn't have enough substantive content to really justify the book. Moreover, the author really tried his best to create humor, but it resulted in a lot of non sequitur footnotes and roundabout trips to make a strained joke. Please just stick to the content--intoxicated animals can be funny enough on their own, without added "jokes".
May 15, 2022
I loved this one a lot. It was heavier on the science than the whimsical title suggests, but that was okay with me. Pagán does a wonderful job of breaking down complex neuroscience and pharmacology to lay terms without sacrificing the integrity of the science.
October 4, 2021
A wonderful, insightful look into animal intoxication and the science behind it. Dr. Pagan writes like you're there with him, sharing a cup of coffee. I loved his sense of humor in this gem and all the wonderful stories. I highly recommend this wonderful book!
April 3, 2022
Well written and with enough humor to make a serious subject readable. I liked the digression into the plant kingdom, and the reference to Dr. Lindsay's 1876 paper on; Mind in Plants, with the attributes of mind list particularly insightful. It should be required reading for every vegan that has their moralistic panties all bunched up. (Before yours bunch up I eat a mostly veg diet)
March 6, 2022
Loved it
February 1, 2022
This book was really cool. I loved reading the studies that were included about the behaviors of certain insects and how those behaviors would change when they consumed certain substances. I think I would have given it 5 stars but it drifted off into these very scientific, jargon-y rants about stuff, so that part got boring for me. But you get to learn some cool stuff like - legend says that coffee was discovered by observing the behavior of goats that had eaten it. So, thanks goats, or else my mornings would not be survivable.
Thanks to NetGalley and BenBella Books for this ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and BenBella Books for this ARC.
December 1, 2021
3.5 stars
I really wanted to love this book. The subject matter is so fascinating, and so closely aligned with special interests of mine. And Pagán is such an engaging science writer — I thought for sure this would be a winning combination. It did not quite pan out that way for me.
While I loved Pagán's prose and valued his insight, I felt Drunk Flies would have benefited from being outlined by someone else, some outside party. The book felt unnecessarily disorganized; it became very frustrating to read a hint of something really interesting only to then be told some variation of "put a pin in that — we'll revisit this fascinating study in a future chapter." It seemed to almost never be time to dig into the fascinating studies now. Fully two-thirds of the book were not about intoxicated animals really at all.
There were some interesting digressions among the many chemistry diagrams (which were not needed, as far as I was concerned) — discussions of Neanderthals and plant neurobiology (and I am ALWAYS here for plant consciousness stuff) but the meat of the book was constantly, frustratingly postponed. When I finally reached the final third with the promised animal content — the entire reason for picking up the book — Pagán sped through each example with disappointing alacrity. I wanted to spend more time with each species!
I really wanted to love this book. The subject matter is so fascinating, and so closely aligned with special interests of mine. And Pagán is such an engaging science writer — I thought for sure this would be a winning combination. It did not quite pan out that way for me.
While I loved Pagán's prose and valued his insight, I felt Drunk Flies would have benefited from being outlined by someone else, some outside party. The book felt unnecessarily disorganized; it became very frustrating to read a hint of something really interesting only to then be told some variation of "put a pin in that — we'll revisit this fascinating study in a future chapter." It seemed to almost never be time to dig into the fascinating studies now. Fully two-thirds of the book were not about intoxicated animals really at all.
There were some interesting digressions among the many chemistry diagrams (which were not needed, as far as I was concerned) — discussions of Neanderthals and plant neurobiology (and I am ALWAYS here for plant consciousness stuff) but the meat of the book was constantly, frustratingly postponed. When I finally reached the final third with the promised animal content — the entire reason for picking up the book — Pagán sped through each example with disappointing alacrity. I wanted to spend more time with each species!
April 5, 2022
Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins promises readers amusing stories of animal intoxication, but delivers instead a serious but enjoyable look at animal and human pharmacognosy and presents a case for why psychoactive drugs exist in nature to begin with. Pagan opens by reviewing studies and observations which prove that animals from insects on up make use of substances found in nature (through fungi and plants), sometimes to treat themselves and sometimes to protect their nests and young from parasites: nicotine, for instance, is consumed by bees to destroy internal parasites, but birds also use substances with nicotine in them to make their nests less attractive to insects. From here, Pagan considers the question of why psychoactive substances exist in nature to begin with, and the answer lies in plant behavior. Although we tend to dismiss plants as not having behavior, playing the passive background role in our nature scenes, the stage for animals to show off their own mobility – Pagan briefly addresses that misconception before making a cause for psychoactives as active plant defense. Substances that distract, disorient, or otherwise infeeble predators (predators like insects, deer, or any other plant-chowers) are a powerful weapon in plantkind’s toolbox, but different substances have varying effects on different classes of lifeforms – and some can be addictive to the point of the consumers’ destruction: Pagan includes one observation of goats that, being hooked onto chewing a certain kind of lichen, destroyed their teeth and made themselves unable to eat properly. The plant-defense option doesn’t explain all drug-like substances, but it’s a promising start, and Pagan mentions other ideas when they’re relevant, like the connection between alcohol proclivity and the ability to find ripe fruit. It’s not all serious argument, though: Pagan does weave in anecdotes about squirrels on meth, and octupi and elephants on LSD. Drunk Flies proves as entertaining as its name promises.
August 22, 2023
⭐️ REVIEW: Drunk Flies and Stoned
Dolphins by Oné R. Pagán
📌 You are wrong if you think humans are the only
animals to use drugs for medicinal and recreational
purposes. The recreational use of plants with
psychoactive properties has a long history among
humans.
🐒 But, as with many things, it turns out other animals
got there first. Whether it's parrots, elephants, bees,
monkeys, or flies, consuming chemicals is an
instinctive behavior that helps countless organisms
fight infection and treat disease. Furthermore, it seems
as if some species even go further with psychoactive
substances, taking them for no apparent benefits, but
just for inducing intoxication.
📖 In this eye-opening and fascinating book, you'll get
a glimpse into the plant and animal kingdom, from bees
that use resins to prevent fungal infection to dolphins
playing with an intoxicating pufferfish as if they were
sharing a joint.
🤔My thoughts on this book
📖 The tone of the book is light-hearted and pleasant.
Throughout the whole book, the author is funny and
engaging, making it way more approachable for lay
people to read.
📌 As someone who adores animals and plants, I
deeply enjoyed exploring the stories, anecdotes,
findings, and theories shared by the author in this
book. I feel privileged to have bumped into the author
online because had it not been for that, I would have
never stumbled upon this book.
Why should you read it❓
If you are into animals and nature or are curious to
learn more about psychoactive substances and their
role in nature, you will love this read. This book is for
anyone having an insatiable curiosity to discover
mother nature's work, going beyond the human realm
by exploring the natural world of plants and animals.
Dolphins by Oné R. Pagán
📌 You are wrong if you think humans are the only
animals to use drugs for medicinal and recreational
purposes. The recreational use of plants with
psychoactive properties has a long history among
humans.
🐒 But, as with many things, it turns out other animals
got there first. Whether it's parrots, elephants, bees,
monkeys, or flies, consuming chemicals is an
instinctive behavior that helps countless organisms
fight infection and treat disease. Furthermore, it seems
as if some species even go further with psychoactive
substances, taking them for no apparent benefits, but
just for inducing intoxication.
📖 In this eye-opening and fascinating book, you'll get
a glimpse into the plant and animal kingdom, from bees
that use resins to prevent fungal infection to dolphins
playing with an intoxicating pufferfish as if they were
sharing a joint.
🤔My thoughts on this book
📖 The tone of the book is light-hearted and pleasant.
Throughout the whole book, the author is funny and
engaging, making it way more approachable for lay
people to read.
📌 As someone who adores animals and plants, I
deeply enjoyed exploring the stories, anecdotes,
findings, and theories shared by the author in this
book. I feel privileged to have bumped into the author
online because had it not been for that, I would have
never stumbled upon this book.
Why should you read it❓
If you are into animals and nature or are curious to
learn more about psychoactive substances and their
role in nature, you will love this read. This book is for
anyone having an insatiable curiosity to discover
mother nature's work, going beyond the human realm
by exploring the natural world of plants and animals.
January 17, 2023
The author presents a history of the use of drugs both in humans and in other mammals, but then going on to insects, lizards etc. It seems that all animals, even those invertebrates have access and used some sort of drug type substances. Mostly, this has been done independently of human/scientific involvement. However, science has after observing such actually has entered into experiences to see how much of the drug different animals can use and what the effect it has on the various animal.
Not only are animals involved in this experience of taking or stumbling upon the drug and then consuming it, plants often seem to have a part to play, primarily in the drug creation arena. It seems that the production of the substances is most often productive for the planet in the areas of protection and in motivating creatures that do their pollenating for the future tree or plant offspring.
Mr. Pagin has a sense of humor of a off beat sort and often made me chuckle. I didn't read the notes or the list of sources in the back, but for those interested in more research, my interest is limited, there is plenty of background sources provided.
Not only are animals involved in this experience of taking or stumbling upon the drug and then consuming it, plants often seem to have a part to play, primarily in the drug creation arena. It seems that the production of the substances is most often productive for the planet in the areas of protection and in motivating creatures that do their pollenating for the future tree or plant offspring.
Mr. Pagin has a sense of humor of a off beat sort and often made me chuckle. I didn't read the notes or the list of sources in the back, but for those interested in more research, my interest is limited, there is plenty of background sources provided.
October 6, 2021
I received an ARC copy of this in a giveaway here on goodreads, so now it's review time.
This book was by turns fascinating, funny and frustrating, which is altogether too many Fs to start with.
Importantly, this book fits into the genre I tend to class as light science, or alternatively "a science book for people who are not sciency but want to pretend they are for an afternoon." That taken into account, the lack of depth it goes into for the most part is understandable and perhaps even commendable from a certain point of view. That said, while I enjoy a good light science book from time to time, this is not one I would personally buy.
I was initially irritated to find that a lot of time would be spent on humans, but it turns out most of this was the discovery of various drugs, or the recognition of their potential importance, and the anecdotes were amusing enough for me to excuse their not being precisely on topic. For me, that's kind of a big thing, as I tend to be very unforgiving of "people related content" in my "animal books." So it's gotta be pretty amusing or else very important for me to accept it. The information was less relevant than entertaining, which I feel is the primary purpose of the book and therefore excuse it as it succeeded in the entertainment department.
I was even more appreciative of the lack of emotional manipulation on the part of the author for the most part. In books like this, it is almost traditional to be trying to make the readers weep for the plight of something or other, regardless of how little it has to do with the topic, but this book subjected us to mercifully little of that, which is surprising considering how much it had to do with animal testing rather than animals naturally encountering mind altering substances and partaking of them. There was plenty of opportunity to try to force views and feelings on the readers, and the author's restraint in that department, while not perfect, was very admirable.
So where did the book go wrong exactly? The short answer is Vague Generalities and Praising of Evolution. What do I mean by that? Surely I'm not denouncing evolution, that wonderful and all important aspect of science? Well, in terms of actual relevance to the topic, yes I am. Because it has almost nothing to do with the subject matter. Nothing would be lost in translation by subtracting the obligatory praising of evolution and speaking of the timeline (this species diverged from that one x million years ago). No contextually relevant information would be lost, and certainly nothing entertaining would go amiss either. But there would have been a lot of pages freed up for more anecdotes about animals on drugs (read: the book's actual topic). Many pages would likewise be freed up by subtracting the vague generalities such as time devoted to "many plants use chemicals to defend themselves." You're better off opening with that, and then following it with "such as" then continuing with an example of a specific plant that defends itself in a specific way from a specific predator or set of predators. But a whole lot of page count is wasted on the nonspecific, particularly in the chapter about plants.
And speaking of chapters, aside from a scattering of anecdotes throughout the book, the animals the book is supposed to be about remain strictly background characters until the final two chapters (or last third of the book). What's the rest of the time spent doing? Well, mostly vague generalities, praising of evolution and setup. The last one I'll excuse for the dual reasons of the entertainment value found therein and its relevance to the actual topic at hand. In fact, a bit more detail on the setup wouldn't have gone amiss, and there would have been space for it if not for the rest. At one point, two pages were wasted on nonexistent meth gators. That doesn't sound like a lot, but realize the book itself is 245+ pages long, and this is only one of several examples of things that just don't belong because they either aren't real or are too far off the subject to be worthy of recognition. For instance, a couple of pages were spent talking about the less positive side of dolphins, in particular their mate guarding and tendency to kill other porpoises, which are now fairly well recognized dark sides of them that don't merit a lot of attention, particularly without a significant tie in to our actual subject. And a too high percentage of these overlong introductions or side tangents don't even do us the courtesy of being entertaining. It's filler, and unnecessary, considering the obvious depth of knowledge the author has and the numerous accounts of intoxicated animals he had to choose from (in addition to some he admits to having cut due to space considerations, I happen to know of a few he didn't even touch on in passing).
Obviously the work is colored by the author's views, but he does try (for the most part) to keep it in check and be clear about what's just his opinion. The book is impressively sourced for the kind of book it is, and I had little trouble looking up most of the articles he referenced, which made for a nice change of pace since light science tends to not do very well at the referencing sources part of the job. Its one major fault is that there is too much filler and not enough substance for my liking, even for a light science book. But it does contain quite a few anecdotes that are put together in an entertaining and easily readable fashion, made into bite sized chunks you can read in short sessions, as well as a good deal of source material for those of us who wanted to delve deeper and get into the real meat of the subject.
This is definitely an author I'd be okay with reading more of.
This book was by turns fascinating, funny and frustrating, which is altogether too many Fs to start with.
Importantly, this book fits into the genre I tend to class as light science, or alternatively "a science book for people who are not sciency but want to pretend they are for an afternoon." That taken into account, the lack of depth it goes into for the most part is understandable and perhaps even commendable from a certain point of view. That said, while I enjoy a good light science book from time to time, this is not one I would personally buy.
I was initially irritated to find that a lot of time would be spent on humans, but it turns out most of this was the discovery of various drugs, or the recognition of their potential importance, and the anecdotes were amusing enough for me to excuse their not being precisely on topic. For me, that's kind of a big thing, as I tend to be very unforgiving of "people related content" in my "animal books." So it's gotta be pretty amusing or else very important for me to accept it. The information was less relevant than entertaining, which I feel is the primary purpose of the book and therefore excuse it as it succeeded in the entertainment department.
I was even more appreciative of the lack of emotional manipulation on the part of the author for the most part. In books like this, it is almost traditional to be trying to make the readers weep for the plight of something or other, regardless of how little it has to do with the topic, but this book subjected us to mercifully little of that, which is surprising considering how much it had to do with animal testing rather than animals naturally encountering mind altering substances and partaking of them. There was plenty of opportunity to try to force views and feelings on the readers, and the author's restraint in that department, while not perfect, was very admirable.
So where did the book go wrong exactly? The short answer is Vague Generalities and Praising of Evolution. What do I mean by that? Surely I'm not denouncing evolution, that wonderful and all important aspect of science? Well, in terms of actual relevance to the topic, yes I am. Because it has almost nothing to do with the subject matter. Nothing would be lost in translation by subtracting the obligatory praising of evolution and speaking of the timeline (this species diverged from that one x million years ago). No contextually relevant information would be lost, and certainly nothing entertaining would go amiss either. But there would have been a lot of pages freed up for more anecdotes about animals on drugs (read: the book's actual topic). Many pages would likewise be freed up by subtracting the vague generalities such as time devoted to "many plants use chemicals to defend themselves." You're better off opening with that, and then following it with "such as" then continuing with an example of a specific plant that defends itself in a specific way from a specific predator or set of predators. But a whole lot of page count is wasted on the nonspecific, particularly in the chapter about plants.
And speaking of chapters, aside from a scattering of anecdotes throughout the book, the animals the book is supposed to be about remain strictly background characters until the final two chapters (or last third of the book). What's the rest of the time spent doing? Well, mostly vague generalities, praising of evolution and setup. The last one I'll excuse for the dual reasons of the entertainment value found therein and its relevance to the actual topic at hand. In fact, a bit more detail on the setup wouldn't have gone amiss, and there would have been space for it if not for the rest. At one point, two pages were wasted on nonexistent meth gators. That doesn't sound like a lot, but realize the book itself is 245+ pages long, and this is only one of several examples of things that just don't belong because they either aren't real or are too far off the subject to be worthy of recognition. For instance, a couple of pages were spent talking about the less positive side of dolphins, in particular their mate guarding and tendency to kill other porpoises, which are now fairly well recognized dark sides of them that don't merit a lot of attention, particularly without a significant tie in to our actual subject. And a too high percentage of these overlong introductions or side tangents don't even do us the courtesy of being entertaining. It's filler, and unnecessary, considering the obvious depth of knowledge the author has and the numerous accounts of intoxicated animals he had to choose from (in addition to some he admits to having cut due to space considerations, I happen to know of a few he didn't even touch on in passing).
Obviously the work is colored by the author's views, but he does try (for the most part) to keep it in check and be clear about what's just his opinion. The book is impressively sourced for the kind of book it is, and I had little trouble looking up most of the articles he referenced, which made for a nice change of pace since light science tends to not do very well at the referencing sources part of the job. Its one major fault is that there is too much filler and not enough substance for my liking, even for a light science book. But it does contain quite a few anecdotes that are put together in an entertaining and easily readable fashion, made into bite sized chunks you can read in short sessions, as well as a good deal of source material for those of us who wanted to delve deeper and get into the real meat of the subject.
This is definitely an author I'd be okay with reading more of.
September 14, 2023
This dude has a PhD in puns
August 24, 2024
Admittedly, I couldn’t ACTUALLY finish this book. I got through the first chapter and had to stop around page 43 (which is a pretty difficult decision for me!). But I still wanted to write my thoughts on it, despite only reading a fraction of it.
I have been in a scientific nonfiction writing kick lately (think Mary Roach, or the recent book “Gory Details”). Books that are well-researched, but also entertaining or lacking in dryness.
I understand some people really enjoy Pagan’s writing approach and voice, but to me it’s insufferable. I tried so hard just to get to chapter 2 because I genuinely wanted to learn about the subject matter. But I just can’t seem to retain the information. Despite his flippant narrative, it’s VERY factual in its delivery, to a point of occasionally feeling light and dense at the same time? So there’s a lot of potential to learn, especially as someone without a bio or chem degree. And a lot of that can be chalked up to the fact that, in my opinion, Pagan abuses the ability to footnote to an obnoxious degree.
I understand the additional depth or aside that footnotes can bring, and I generally enjoy them. But these footnotes have no value. They sometimes come off as silly or nonsensical to a point it distracts enough that I forgot what Pagan was talking about. And maybe that’s just a personal preference, or something to do with my ADHD and linguistic processing. But abuse of footnotes like this is also why I cannot, for the life of me, get through DFW’s Infinite Jest—that intellectual aside where the author wants to seem like they’re writing but also engaging in a casual (read: pretentious) intellectual discussion with the reader, when really they’re just patting themselves on the back for what they just wrote. One footnote in chapter one of “Drunk Flies…” could literally be summarized as, “ha! Pretty clever, right?” And that kind of writing feels disorganized and unedited to me. I don’t want to read a scientist’s Xanga ramblings about a weird science topic they thought was cool.
But maybe I’m just not the intended audience.
I have been in a scientific nonfiction writing kick lately (think Mary Roach, or the recent book “Gory Details”). Books that are well-researched, but also entertaining or lacking in dryness.
I understand some people really enjoy Pagan’s writing approach and voice, but to me it’s insufferable. I tried so hard just to get to chapter 2 because I genuinely wanted to learn about the subject matter. But I just can’t seem to retain the information. Despite his flippant narrative, it’s VERY factual in its delivery, to a point of occasionally feeling light and dense at the same time? So there’s a lot of potential to learn, especially as someone without a bio or chem degree. And a lot of that can be chalked up to the fact that, in my opinion, Pagan abuses the ability to footnote to an obnoxious degree.
I understand the additional depth or aside that footnotes can bring, and I generally enjoy them. But these footnotes have no value. They sometimes come off as silly or nonsensical to a point it distracts enough that I forgot what Pagan was talking about. And maybe that’s just a personal preference, or something to do with my ADHD and linguistic processing. But abuse of footnotes like this is also why I cannot, for the life of me, get through DFW’s Infinite Jest—that intellectual aside where the author wants to seem like they’re writing but also engaging in a casual (read: pretentious) intellectual discussion with the reader, when really they’re just patting themselves on the back for what they just wrote. One footnote in chapter one of “Drunk Flies…” could literally be summarized as, “ha! Pretty clever, right?” And that kind of writing feels disorganized and unedited to me. I don’t want to read a scientist’s Xanga ramblings about a weird science topic they thought was cool.
But maybe I’m just not the intended audience.
November 18, 2021
I am obsessed with animals and devour everything I can read about their behavior and habits. The author is a biologist, not an ethologist, so this book is more about the science of drugs than it is about the animals. It is written in an easy-to-follow style, keeping it simple for laypeople, but also includes chemistry and the composition of some of the substances. Other illustrations are adorable diagrams that show the effects of some drugs on non-human animals. The author warns that some of the stories related here are apocryphal and have little scientific value. As a non-scientist, those were my favorite parts. Which takes me to my least favorite part of the book, which is that it focuses too much on humans. The experiments and most of the science centers on how it relates or helps the ugliest apes to fight addiction. As remarkable as that is, it’s not why I was interested in this volume. I still enjoyed it, though I will never look at Santa Claus the same way again.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/#Bloomsbury Publishing!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/#Bloomsbury Publishing!
December 30, 2025
I enjoyed this read, perhaps in spite of the author’s long-winded writing style. I learned a lot from this book and appreciated that Pagán provided a background foundation on the evolutionary reason why some plants and bacteria produce substances that can have psychoactive effects on animals. Pagán’s explanations of the denser scientific elements were still clear and accessible. However, he indulged himself in a lot of tangents based on his personal fascination with the general subject matter, rather than direct relevance to the specific topic at hand. His writing also contained too many tedious asides (like extraneous information about his daughter’s cats or how he is “thrilled to have this opportunity to use the following literary phrase: the plot thickens”) and repetitive “jokes” (like prefacing every single reference to sex with “er…”). The book would’ve been much more concise and pleasant if he’d filtered out at least half of his parentheticals and in-text footnotes.
April 23, 2022
False advertising!
I went into this thinking there would be stories about animals in nature seeking out psychoactive substances. Two chapters in and there is barely a mention of any of that, and the author spends the entire time driveling on about HUMANS and their drug use. I came here to read about non-human animals, not humans.
The only mentioning of animals was in relation to them being used as test subjects (which I find immoral and certainly don't want to read about). I skimmed through the rest of the book and it seems that's the focus of most of it, human drug use, animal testing and boring discussions of pharmacology. No thanks.
The only advantage of reading this was, not finishing it means I get to return it before the library's deadline.
I went into this thinking there would be stories about animals in nature seeking out psychoactive substances. Two chapters in and there is barely a mention of any of that, and the author spends the entire time driveling on about HUMANS and their drug use. I came here to read about non-human animals, not humans.
The only mentioning of animals was in relation to them being used as test subjects (which I find immoral and certainly don't want to read about). I skimmed through the rest of the book and it seems that's the focus of most of it, human drug use, animal testing and boring discussions of pharmacology. No thanks.
The only advantage of reading this was, not finishing it means I get to return it before the library's deadline.
January 13, 2025
One thing that struck me right away is that the author really seemed to enjoy writing this book. It almost seemed like someone giving a lesson to a classroom full of people, but in a good way. The tangents and seeming non-sequiturs that are common in lectures but normally edited out of published works are all present here and they add to the enjoyment of the source material. As a lover of Terry Pratchett's Footnotes style of writing these little asides helped me connect with the work and keep an interest.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews