The Secret Life of Clams: The Mysteries and Magic of Our Favorite Shellfish Hardcover – Illustrated, November 18, 2014

I purchased this book on a bit of a whim. I thought, "Who would or, better yet, why would one write a book about clams?" Such a mundane creature. I received both answers as I quickly found the book to be fascinating, filled with facts, well researched and with an excellent appendix, bibliography, and index. The author has wonderful, relevant "Fast Facts" throughout the book and an excellent use of humor. One would not consider a book about clams to be a "page turner" but that is exactly what it is. There are a number of quotes from famous people to open chapters. Sophia Loren was quoted to open the "steamy" chapter "Sex Among the Bivalves". There are also recommendations for finding the best "clam shack" and the author provides his own recipes for prepared clams. This is an educational and fun read. Definitely worthy of more than five stars but since that's the limit then that is my rating. Bon appetite!!

I am a schoolteacher in Virginia and I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Fredericks' book on horseshoe crabs and used it extensively as a resource in my classroom. I plan to do the same with this book! Both books are educational, entertaining and enjoyable. He writes with an obvious love for his subject and the ability to communicate science and history with a refreshingly engaging enthusiasm.

Book is very informative and well done and very interesting

They don't have enough secrets to warrant this much attention. Very shellfish little critters, too! Geoducks could hold one's interest of an evening, though. A significant section of the book (about 30 pages), is all about acquiring clams, cleaning clams, and cooking clams.

I admit that I may not have picked it up if not for a slow day at the beach, but the author somehow succeeds in writing an entertaining book about clams. He strikes an amiable balance between information and humour, even if he often sounds like a long-winded uncle sharing corny stories at a kitchen party. Everything from biology to pop culture references is covered. Who knew “Do the Clam” was among Elvis’s oeuvre?The subtitle captures what passes for the ironic, unifying theme: how the humble clam is more virtuous than “that other shellfish”. Tips on how to dig your own and recipes are included, and if that’s not happening there’s a list of recommended clam shacks and festivals. For those whose attention span is challenged by the meandering, folksy prose, Fast Facts are sprinkled throughout in popup boxes. The whole package radiates the sentimental warmth of a clambake!

An interesting read. It is fascinating to get out of the "box" and read a different genre. Dr. Fredericks approach to writing a book about clams was humorous factual and gave new meaning to something that lived for years .I would recommend this book as I enjoyed Fast Facts input. Never realized how much research and understanding was put into a creature we take for granted. Kudos to the author.

Here is a book that needed to be written and Anthony Fredericks was the right one to do it. Within its pages I found more about these animals than I had accumulated in the past nine decades of treading them, eating them, dredging them, raking them, protecting them as a Shellfish Commissioner and earning from them as an aquaculture consultant. Professor Fredericks takes the reader through all the ways the clam interfaces with other animals, with people, and with the environment. He touches briefly on gastronomy with clearly written recipes and includes a comprehensive bibliography. Here is a reference book that reads like a novel. A gem. Submitted by Mervin F. Roberts, published author and aquaculturist, Old Lyme, CT

The book was written as a collection of uninteresting tid bits thrown together just to try to reach a contract number of pages.