What is the benefit to individuals or a species as a whole, say, from dog bows or pig rolls? In “The Kingdom of Play” David Tumy analyzes the nature, meaning, and mysteries of play behavior in a wide variety of animals, from bumblebees to humans. The author transforms a wealth of serious scientific knowledge about the distinctive features of play, its prevalence in the animal kingdom, evolutionary history, and neurobiology, as well as the impact of play on individual lives and species development trajectories, into an engaging and cohesive narrative. Tumy presents play as far from a unique product of natural selection for humans and simultaneously as a rich supplier of material for it.