Understanding Pendulums / History of Mechanism and Machine Science Bd.12 (PDF)

Leslie Philip (Les) Pook was born in Middlesex, England in 1935. He obtained a BSc in metallurgy from the University of London in 1956. He started his career at Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd, Coventry in 1956. In 1963 he moved to the National Engineering Laboratory, East Kilbride, Glasgow. In 1969, while at the National Engineering Laboratory, he obtained a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Strathclyde. Dr Pook moved to University College London in 1990. He retired formally in 1998 but remained professionally active in the fields of metal fatigue and fracture mechanics, and is affiliated to University College London as a visiting professor. He now has more tine to pursue long standing interests in recreational mathematics, including flexagons, and in horology. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. Les married his wife Ann in 1960. They have a daughter, Stephanie, and a son, Adrian. His previous books are listed below.



Frost N E, Marsh K J and Pook L P. Metal fatigue. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974. ISBN 0 19 856114 8. Reprinted with minor corrections. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications Inc., 1999. ISBN 0-486-40927-9.



Pook L P. The role of crack growth in metal fatigue. London: Metals Society, 1983. ISBN 0 904357 63 5.



Pook L P. Linear elastic fracture mechanics for engineers. Theory and applications. Southampton: WIT Press, 2000. ISBN 1 85312 7035.



Pook L P. Crack paths. Southampton: WIT Press, 2002. ISBN 1-85312-927-5.



Pook L P. Flexagons inside out. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. ISBN 0 521 81970 9 hardback 0 521 52574 8 paperback.



Pook L P. Metal Fatigue: What it is, why it matters. Dordrecht: Springer, 2007. ISBN 1-4020-5596-6.



Pook L P. Serious fun with flexagons. A compendium and guide. Dordrecht: Springer. To be published July 2009. ISBN 978-90-481-2502-9.dy>

From the reviews:

“The present volume is a more modest contribution and is essentially an introduction to the topic. … for a mathematically inclined audience, this is a nice book, introducing the more technological issues associated with the pendulum in an interesting way. The author uses elementary mathematics throughout, and accessible language. … this booklet is an original and worthwhile addition to the literature. … it is an ideal introduction to the fascinating world of the pendulum from the perspective of a professional engineer. I enjoyed reading it.” (Giuseppe Saccomandi, Mathematical Reviews, August, 2013)“Pook, a retired professional mechanical engineer and teacher, distinguishes it from others in the field by requiring that readers have a certain amount of mathematical knowledge to follow his discourse. In this, he largely succeeds. … But most of his discussion relates to very practical and useful applications in engineering. … The volume includes useful, clear diagrams and pictures to help the reader understand the material. Every chapter has extensive references, and there is a good index. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals.” (N. Sadanand, Choice, Vol. 49 (4), December, 2011)