The Happy Clam

Finished in 2020, with the world on the brink of a global pandemic, this book’s messages of hope and happiness are perhaps needed now more so than ever before. The Happy Clam scales the realms of happiness – physical, intellectual, emotional, relational, spiritual – bringing together findings from across the fields of psychology and philosophy, with practical advice on how to apply them and be happier. It turns out there are a thousand little things we can do to invite a little more happiness into our lives, to nudge the needle a tick or two, but only a few things that really make a difference. Why happy clam? Just as clams are filter feeders, taking in nourishment from what’s in the passing current, Rose has taken in all the bits and bytes of daily news, research, and experience, and stitched them together to create a delicately-crafted mosaic rich in hope and inspiration. The book also shares deeply personal experiences, with both humor and gravity in the face of loss, along with serving up some favorite family recipes.

This book is like flannel pajamas after a warm bath on a cold snowy night, or cool water on your toes on a sun-drenched sandy beach. It brings comfort when and where needed most; a salve for the soul. The pursuit of happiness isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but there’s more that you can do than what you might think. While we can’t help feeling what we feel, we can change our relationship with those feelings, and what we do with them, understanding that they are all part of the messy tossed salad that is the human condition.

Written by a regular person, and not some happiness guru, this book arose from the author’s own search for ways to lift her spirits. Studded with anecdotes and piercingly acute observations, carefully researched and grounded soundly in real-life experience, this book draws on the author’s twenty years as a first-line supervisor, and perspective gained through her own personal losses, successes, and failures. The narrative writing style invites you into the conversation, and evokes a way to see the light and find hope even during the darkest times. Highly relatable, it will make you think, get you to laugh, and will hopefully lift your spirits as well!

This book picks up where Rose’s last book left off. If Go Forward, Support! was all about staying a child as long as possible, this book is all about being an adult. Started many years ago and finished in 2020, this book’s message of hope are needed now more so than ever before.

Go Forward, Support! was published in 2004 by Gainline Press, with a first edition print run of 2,000 copies (ISBN 9780970852809).

Author Biography

Rosemary Schmidt is a Boston-area author, publisher, blogger, retired Geologist, and retired rugby player. She published her first book, Go Forward, Support! The Rugby of Life, in 2004, serving up life lessons drawn from the sport of rugby. Her second book, The Happy Clam, was released in 2020 in the early days of the pandemic. In between, Rose started a blog in 2014 (Rosebud’s Blog) where she writes about current events, art, science, culture, and society on her website https: //www.gainline.com.Rose holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Geology from the University of Dayton, and a Master’s of Science in Geology from the University of Illinois, and worked as a Professional Geologist for over 30 years with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Rose is originally from the Chicago area, and now resides in the Boston area with her spouse, Susan.