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>