The Secret Life of Clams The Mysteries and Magic of Our Favorite Shellfish

About this book

Get up close and personal with an amazing creature that has invaded our lexicon as well as our restaurants.

It breathes with tubes, it has no head or brain, it feeds through a filter, and it is the source of dozens of familiar proverbs ("happy as a clam!"). Clams, it turns out, have been worshipped (by the Moche people of ancient Peru), used as money (by the Algonquin Indians), and consumed by people for thousands of years. Yet The Secret Life of Clams is the first adult trade book to deal exclusively with this gastronomic treat that is more complex than its simple two shells might reveal. The Secret Life of Clams features compelling insights, captivating biology, wry observations, and up-to-the-minute natural history that will keep readers engaged and enthralled.

Written by award-winning science author Anthony D. Fredericks, The Secret Life of Clams includes a comfortable infusion of humor, up-to-date research, fascinating individuals (scientists and laypeople alike), and the awe of a fellow explorer as he guides readers on a journey of wonder and adventure. Along with an appreciation for oceanic creatures, this is a guidebook for armchair marine biologists everywhere who seek amazing discoveries in concert with compelling narration.

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Biography

Anthony D. Fredericks grew up on the beaches of Southern California, where he spent his youth exploring tide pools, gathering clams, and snorkeling along the Pacific coast. He has been a professional educator for more than forty years and has taught at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. Fredericks is a prolific author, having authored nearly four hundred magazine and journal articles and published 141 books, including three college textbooks, eighty education books, and several adult trade books. He is also the award-winning author of more than forty children's books in a variety of genres, primarily environmental science and natural history. He resides in Dover, Pennsylvania.