The Life and Legacy of G. I. Taylor

Rating:
Summary: G. I. our hero
Review: G. I. Taylor was a classical physicist/applied mathematician who made seminal contributions to wide-ranging areas of fluid and solid mechanics. Using unparalleled physical insights, he answered many important and fundamental scientific questions using rather simplistic methods. The importance of his work can be seen by the number of phenomena named in his honor.

As a student and a long-time colleague of G. I., Batchelor is in a good position to give a vivid account of G. I.'s life. Behind the gentle appearance and manners, G. I. had a sharp and original mind. Never going with the crowd, G. I. research problems were highly individualistic. Batchelor attributes qualitities of naturalness as one of the reasons for his resounding success.

This is a highly recommended scientific biography for anyone interested in fluid/solid mechanics and applied mathematics. Not only is G. I's personality captured vividly, but also the scientific work well explained to the non-expert. In fact, a great way to delve into fluid/solid mechanics is by reading G. I.'s works on the subjects.