Welcome to the mysterious oceanic realm, home to exotic creatures great and small. Amidst the many wonders of the reef exist vibrant shells, full of life, in many textures and colors. Within these pages you will discover the most rare, most exquisite living shells of the world, many of which have never been photographed before. Living Shells finally unlocks these secrets of the sea by allowing you to experience these unique creatures up close, in all of their splendor, within their native habitats, deep within the soul of the ocean. Living Shells marries the potent beauty of underwater photography with the science of these opulent beings of the sea. With each vivacious portrait of these exotic shell species, you will realize the mystery of the world s waterways and discover the bizarre yet wonderful life forms that remain hidden from our human world. What other beings have yet to be seen by the human eye? In seizing these extraordinary profiles of the world s most uncommon living shells, Rawlings delivers a better understanding of the breathtaking art and science of conchology. With magic and wonder, Living Shells will take you on a visually stimulating and educational journey to the depths below.
Dr. Charles Rawlings has certainly led an adventurous life. After graduating from the prestigious Duke University for undergraduate studies, he attended Duke School of Medicine, where he became a distinguished neurosurgeon. Ten years later he decided to branch out in his career and he attended Wake Forest University School of Law and he was named a Juris Doctor in 2002. He has been admitted to the North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey, and South Carolina Bars and currently owns and operates the Rawlings Law Firm of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and has over fifty publications in various journals and dive publications covering a multitude of subjects. As if that was not enough, Dr. Rawlings has made quite a name for himself in the field of underwater photography. He s traveled the world and honed his art for over 25 years and his work has graced the cover of American Conchologist an impressive twelve times.