Flow

"The life of an academic is in a constant state of flux and tension between work and family life. The work itself is in perpetual tension between teaching, administration and research. Research can at times be all-consuming, and it is the occasional breakthrough in scientific research that lends excitement and a great sense of worth and achievement to this activity." So writes Keith Moffatt in the foreword to this scientific autobiography. He is well qualified to do so, as a former Director of the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge and a former President of the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. He adopts the quadrennial Congresses of this organisation as the 'Stepping Stones' of his scientific career since 1960, and then devotes chapters to his formative years before 1960 and to the highlights of his scientific career in each subsequent decade. He concludes with a chapter of his poetry and an Appendix concerning some key developments in Fluid Dynamics since 1956. Written with dry humour, modest scientific content, and occasional tragedy, this account of a scientific life will be of interest not only to the global fluid mechanics community, but more generally to the broader public with an interest in the ramifications of scientific research and collaboration on a worldwide stage.