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.