THE book for GR, 08 Dec 2007
This is not a book of general relativity, it is the book of relativity! It is clear, really stimulating and all comprehensive.
It is written in a very peculiar and colourful style, perhaps it is not the best choice in order to learn quickly the subject nor for quick reference. If you want to really understand and appreciate general relativity, well then here you come.

The most beautiful textbook to come out of the 1970s, 25 Mar 2004
I used to drool over this book in the university bookshop. It was, by far, the best laid-out textbook I had ever seen. It was expensive, even by the standards of 1980, the year I eventually bought it.

This probably disqualifies me as an Amazon reviewer, but I have to admit that I've never read it. I was a mathematician by degree, and am now a writer on marketing matters. Whenever I need inspiration on how to lay out and explain a complex concept which needs both words and diagrams, this is the book I return to.

The handbook of General Relativity, 20 May 2001
I recognise "Gravitation" is not the best mathematical exposition of General Relativity, it is also 27 years old. Nevertheless, it is the best reference book if it goes with other more elementary texts, like B.Schutz, or with other approach, like Weinberg. "Gravitation" is huge, great, comprehensive, practically complete and has glossy paper. It must be in every theoretical physicist assortment. I recommend it not for beginners, but for those who have learnt at least a little about Relativity and Differential Geometry. It treats with:

- Review of Special Relativity - Flat elementary Differential Geometry. - Electromagnetism and Differential forms. - The Stress-Energy tensor. - Newtonian gravity. - Differential and Riemannian Geometry (a special approach for physicists). - Equivalence principle and field equation. - Variational principles. - Classical Physics in curved spacetimes. - Relativistic stars. - Cosmology - Schwarzschild solution and black holes. - Global techniques and singularities (a little, for this I recommend Wald's book). - Gravitational waves. - Experimental tests. - Mathematical frontiers.

do not buy it!!!, 26 Apr 2001
The mathematical background is all along set up in an unconsistent manner. Experimental data do not fit with modern experimental science ( cosmology in particular). I would rather recommend to read "Introduction to gravitation" by Doctor J.Keats or to start with the "First introduction to general relativity" by Papa Shutz.

Amazing!, 28 Jul 1998
The world would be less beautiful if this book didn't exist. What a remarkable feat! The sequence that leads from the very basic concept of spacetime to the computation of the components of Riemann tensor by using forms and the Cartan equations is unparalleled. A lot of mathematical formulas follow from simple reasoning and ... drawings! The introduction of Schild's ladder to motivate the axioms for a (torsionless) connection is very clever. The introduction of curvature by means of geodesic deviation is very intuitive. The derivation of the expression for the geodesic deviation (and, consequently, of the expression for the Riemann tensor) is, again, completely intuitive. The chapter on spinors is very beautiful and useful. Still, I would never recommend this book for a beginner. For it is absolutely non-linear. I have been told that this corresponds to the ideas of Wheeler's concerning learning. Sometimes an argument at chapter 4 (say) depends on something that is intr! oduced in chapter 8. Also, the three tracks (first, second and boxes)interfere all the time, requiring much discipline from the reader. If, however, you already learned the basics (for instance, in Landau, Lifshitz), so that you know what you are looking for, "Gravitation" is unbeatable, of a class apart. I've seen mathematicians adopting the language introduced by them to explain tensors: a slot for each argument of the multilinear machine! Last, not the least, the Index and the References are of the highest quality. This shows respect for the readers. Drs. Misner, Thorne and Wheeler are to be congratulated.

THE book for GR, 08 Dec 2007
This is not a book of general relativity, it is the book of relativity! It is clear, really stimulating and all comprehensive.
It is written in a very peculiar and colourful style, perhaps it is not the best choice in order to learn quickly the subject nor for quick reference. If you want to really understand and appreciate general relativity, well then here you come.

The most beautiful textbook to come out of the 1970s, 25 Mar 2004
I used to drool over this book in the university bookshop. It was, by far, the best laid-out textbook I had ever seen. It was expensive, even by the standards of 1980, the year I eventually bought it.

This probably disqualifies me as an Amazon reviewer, but I have to admit that I've never read it. I was a mathematician by degree, and am now a writer on marketing matters. Whenever I need inspiration on how to lay out and explain a complex concept which needs both words and diagrams, this is the book I return to.

The handbook of General Relativity, 20 May 2001
I recognise "Gravitation" is not the best mathematical exposition of General Relativity, it is also 27 years old. Nevertheless, it is the best reference book if it goes with other more elementary texts, like B.Schutz, or with other approach, like Weinberg. "Gravitation" is huge, great, comprehensive, practically complete and has glossy paper. It must be in every theoretical physicist assortment. I recommend it not for beginners, but for those who have learnt at least a little about Relativity and Differential Geometry. It treats with:

- Review of Special Relativity - Flat elementary Differential Geometry. - Electromagnetism and Differential forms. - The Stress-Energy tensor. - Newtonian gravity. - Differential and Riemannian Geometry (a special approach for physicists). - Equivalence principle and field equation. - Variational principles. - Classical Physics in curved spacetimes. - Relativistic stars. - Cosmology - Schwarzschild solution and black holes. - Global techniques and singularities (a little, for this I recommend Wald's book). - Gravitational waves. - Experimental tests. - Mathematical frontiers.

do not buy it!!!, 26 Apr 2001
The mathematical background is all along set up in an unconsistent manner. Experimental data do not fit with modern experimental science ( cosmology in particular). I would rather recommend to read "Introduction to gravitation" by Doctor J.Keats or to start with the "First introduction to general relativity" by Papa Shutz.

Amazing!, 28 Jul 1998
The world would be less beautiful if this book didn't exist. What a remarkable feat! The sequence that leads from the very basic concept of spacetime to the computation of the components of Riemann tensor by using forms and the Cartan equations is unparalleled. A lot of mathematical formulas follow from simple reasoning and ... drawings! The introduction of Schild's ladder to motivate the axioms for a (torsionless) connection is very clever. The introduction of curvature by means of geodesic deviation is very intuitive. The derivation of the expression for the geodesic deviation (and, consequently, of the expression for the Riemann tensor) is, again, completely intuitive. The chapter on spinors is very beautiful and useful. Still, I would never recommend this book for a beginner. For it is absolutely non-linear. I have been told that this corresponds to the ideas of Wheeler's concerning learning. Sometimes an argument at chapter 4 (say) depends on something that is intr! oduced in chapter 8. Also, the three tracks (first, second and boxes)interfere all the time, requiring much discipline from the reader. If, however, you already learned the basics (for instance, in Landau, Lifshitz), so that you know what you are looking for, "Gravitation" is unbeatable, of a class apart. I've seen mathematicians adopting the language introduced by them to explain tensors: a slot for each argument of the multilinear machine! Last, not the least, the Index and the References are of the highest quality. This shows respect for the readers. Drs. Misner, Thorne and Wheeler are to be congratulated.

Excellent Material to begin with and test yourself., 21 Feb 2005
I'm a second year astrophysics student from Ireland.
Recently I've tried to learn the Mathematics of General Relativity in detail, outside of my course and have bought numerous books in the process.

In my opinion this book and "A First Course in General Relativity by Bernard F. Schutz" are perfect complementary texts to learn the main basis of General Relativity on your own.

The author has provided an unbelievable amount of questions and not a single one of them is pointless exercise.

The book is Divided into three sections:

Part 1: Metric description of Space-Time
Very well written intro to General Relativity which delves into Black Holes and Mercury's Orbit, without the full on Field Equation and Tensors.

Part 2: Cosmology
Still keeping to the metric description of space-time, cosmology is introduced. The mathematics of concepts like the closed and open universes are explained really well.

Part 3: Full Tensor Formulism
I was able to learn Tensors from this, using Chapter 3 from Schutz's book as a companion.

The questions at the end of each chapter really test your knowledge and after reading this you will be able to manipulate the field equation for simple cases and move onto more advanced books if you wish.

THE book for GR, 08 Dec 2007
This is not a book of general relativity, it is the book of relativity! It is clear, really stimulating and all comprehensive.
It is written in a very peculiar and colourful style, perhaps it is not the best choice in order to learn quickly the subject nor for quick reference. If you want to really understand and appreciate general relativity, well then here you come.

The most beautiful textbook to come out of the 1970s, 25 Mar 2004
I used to drool over this book in the university bookshop. It was, by far, the best laid-out textbook I had ever seen. It was expensive, even by the standards of 1980, the year I eventually bought it.

This probably disqualifies me as an Amazon reviewer, but I have to admit that I've never read it. I was a mathematician by degree, and am now a writer on marketing matters. Whenever I need inspiration on how to lay out and explain a complex concept which needs both words and diagrams, this is the book I return to.

The handbook of General Relativity, 20 May 2001
I recognise "Gravitation" is not the best mathematical exposition of General Relativity, it is also 27 years old. Nevertheless, it is the best reference book if it goes with other more elementary texts, like B.Schutz, or with other approach, like Weinberg. "Gravitation" is huge, great, comprehensive, practically complete and has glossy paper. It must be in every theoretical physicist assortment. I recommend it not for beginners, but for those who have learnt at least a little about Relativity and Differential Geometry. It treats with:

- Review of Special Relativity - Flat elementary Differential Geometry. - Electromagnetism and Differential forms. - The Stress-Energy tensor. - Newtonian gravity. - Differential and Riemannian Geometry (a special approach for physicists). - Equivalence principle and field equation. - Variational principles. - Classical Physics in curved spacetimes. - Relativistic stars. - Cosmology - Schwarzschild solution and black holes. - Global techniques and singularities (a little, for this I recommend Wald's book). - Gravitational waves. - Experimental tests. - Mathematical frontiers.

do not buy it!!!, 26 Apr 2001
The mathematical background is all along set up in an unconsistent manner. Experimental data do not fit with modern experimental science ( cosmology in particular). I would rather recommend to read "Introduction to gravitation" by Doctor J.Keats or to start with the "First introduction to general relativity" by Papa Shutz.

Amazing!, 28 Jul 1998
The world would be less beautiful if this book didn't exist. What a remarkable feat! The sequence that leads from the very basic concept of spacetime to the computation of the components of Riemann tensor by using forms and the Cartan equations is unparalleled. A lot of mathematical formulas follow from simple reasoning and ... drawings! The introduction of Schild's ladder to motivate the axioms for a (torsionless) connection is very clever. The introduction of curvature by means of geodesic deviation is very intuitive. The derivation of the expression for the geodesic deviation (and, consequently, of the expression for the Riemann tensor) is, again, completely intuitive. The chapter on spinors is very beautiful and useful. Still, I would never recommend this book for a beginner. For it is absolutely non-linear. I have been told that this corresponds to the ideas of Wheeler's concerning learning. Sometimes an argument at chapter 4 (say) depends on something that is intr! oduced in chapter 8. Also, the three tracks (first, second and boxes)interfere all the time, requiring much discipline from the reader. If, however, you already learned the basics (for instance, in Landau, Lifshitz), so that you know what you are looking for, "Gravitation" is unbeatable, of a class apart. I've seen mathematicians adopting the language introduced by them to explain tensors: a slot for each argument of the multilinear machine! Last, not the least, the Index and the References are of the highest quality. This shows respect for the readers. Drs. Misner, Thorne and Wheeler are to be congratulated.

Excellent Material to begin with and test yourself., 21 Feb 2005
I'm a second year astrophysics student from Ireland.
Recently I've tried to learn the Mathematics of General Relativity in detail, outside of my course and have bought numerous books in the process.

In my opinion this book and "A First Course in General Relativity by Bernard F. Schutz" are perfect complementary texts to learn the main basis of General Relativity on your own.

The author has provided an unbelievable amount of questions and not a single one of them is pointless exercise.

The book is Divided into three sections:

Part 1: Metric description of Space-Time
Very well written intro to General Relativity which delves into Black Holes and Mercury's Orbit, without the full on Field Equation and Tensors.

Part 2: Cosmology
Still keeping to the metric description of space-time, cosmology is introduced. The mathematics of concepts like the closed and open universes are explained really well.

Part 3: Full Tensor Formulism
I was able to learn Tensors from this, using Chapter 3 from Schutz's book as a companion.

The questions at the end of each chapter really test your knowledge and after reading this you will be able to manipulate the field equation for simple cases and move onto more advanced books if you wish.

A pearl., 09 Mar 2003
A lovely reprinted Dover edition of a peral from Gamow. The original 1962 edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 2003 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. The author Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII, and after the war, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus named after him! The books he wrote are pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. Luckely some have been reprinted! Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!

THE book for GR, 08 Dec 2007
This is not a book of general relativity, it is the book of relativity! It is clear, really stimulating and all comprehensive.
It is written in a very peculiar and colourful style, perhaps it is not the best choice in order to learn quickly the subject nor for quick reference. If you want to really understand and appreciate general relativity, well then here you come.

The most beautiful textbook to come out of the 1970s, 25 Mar 2004
I used to drool over this book in the university bookshop. It was, by far, the best laid-out textbook I had ever seen. It was expensive, even by the standards of 1980, the year I eventually bought it.

This probably disqualifies me as an Amazon reviewer, but I have to admit that I've never read it. I was a mathematician by degree, and am now a writer on marketing matters. Whenever I need inspiration on how to lay out and explain a complex concept which needs both words and diagrams, this is the book I return to.

The handbook of General Relativity, 20 May 2001
I recognise "Gravitation" is not the best mathematical exposition of General Relativity, it is also 27 years old. Nevertheless, it is the best reference book if it goes with other more elementary texts, like B.Schutz, or with other approach, like Weinberg. "Gravitation" is huge, great, comprehensive, practically complete and has glossy paper. It must be in every theoretical physicist assortment. I recommend it not for beginners, but for those who have learnt at least a little about Relativity and Differential Geometry. It treats with:

- Review of Special Relativity - Flat elementary Differential Geometry. - Electromagnetism and Differential forms. - The Stress-Energy tensor. - Newtonian gravity. - Differential and Riemannian Geometry (a special approach for physicists). - Equivalence principle and field equation. - Variational principles. - Classical Physics in curved spacetimes. - Relativistic stars. - Cosmology - Schwarzschild solution and black holes. - Global techniques and singularities (a little, for this I recommend Wald's book). - Gravitational waves. - Experimental tests. - Mathematical frontiers.

do not buy it!!!, 26 Apr 2001
The mathematical background is all along set up in an unconsistent manner. Experimental data do not fit with modern experimental science ( cosmology in particular). I would rather recommend to read "Introduction to gravitation" by Doctor J.Keats or to start with the "First introduction to general relativity" by Papa Shutz.

Amazing!, 28 Jul 1998
The world would be less beautiful if this book didn't exist. What a remarkable feat! The sequence that leads from the very basic concept of spacetime to the computation of the components of Riemann tensor by using forms and the Cartan equations is unparalleled. A lot of mathematical formulas follow from simple reasoning and ... drawings! The introduction of Schild's ladder to motivate the axioms for a (torsionless) connection is very clever. The introduction of curvature by means of geodesic deviation is very intuitive. The derivation of the expression for the geodesic deviation (and, consequently, of the expression for the Riemann tensor) is, again, completely intuitive. The chapter on spinors is very beautiful and useful. Still, I would never recommend this book for a beginner. For it is absolutely non-linear. I have been told that this corresponds to the ideas of Wheeler's concerning learning. Sometimes an argument at chapter 4 (say) depends on something that is intr! oduced in chapter 8. Also, the three tracks (first, second and boxes)interfere all the time, requiring much discipline from the reader. If, however, you already learned the basics (for instance, in Landau, Lifshitz), so that you know what you are looking for, "Gravitation" is unbeatable, of a class apart. I've seen mathematicians adopting the language introduced by them to explain tensors: a slot for each argument of the multilinear machine! Last, not the least, the Index and the References are of the highest quality. This shows respect for the readers. Drs. Misner, Thorne and Wheeler are to be congratulated.

Excellent Material to begin with and test yourself., 21 Feb 2005
I'm a second year astrophysics student from Ireland.
Recently I've tried to learn the Mathematics of General Relativity in detail, outside of my course and have bought numerous books in the process.

In my opinion this book and "A First Course in General Relativity by Bernard F. Schutz" are perfect complementary texts to learn the main basis of General Relativity on your own.

The author has provided an unbelievable amount of questions and not a single one of them is pointless exercise.

The book is Divided into three sections:

Part 1: Metric description of Space-Time
Very well written intro to General Relativity which delves into Black Holes and Mercury's Orbit, without the full on Field Equation and Tensors.

Part 2: Cosmology
Still keeping to the metric description of space-time, cosmology is introduced. The mathematics of concepts like the closed and open universes are explained really well.

Part 3: Full Tensor Formulism
I was able to learn Tensors from this, using Chapter 3 from Schutz's book as a companion.

The questions at the end of each chapter really test your knowledge and after reading this you will be able to manipulate the field equation for simple cases and move onto more advanced books if you wish.

A pearl., 09 Mar 2003
A lovely reprinted Dover edition of a peral from Gamow. The original 1962 edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 2003 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. The author Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII, and after the war, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus named after him! The books he wrote are pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. Luckely some have been reprinted! Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!

A very enlightening tour of Gravity!, 19 Sep 2006
Modern theories of gravitation are notorously difficult to grasp in any detail largely because of the volumes of off-putting mathemetics which comes with them. The Newtonian picture of an infinite force which acts instantaneously throughout the universe and follows a simple mathematical form required to calculate cannon shell trajectories for example is about as far as most people get with the subject. Even the more complex subject of two-body orbits can be daunting, never mind three or more bodies.
This book deals with Newtonian gravity in detail, covering things like cannon shell trajectories and then orbital mechanics including the sling shot process used to propel inter-planetary probes, but then goes on to deal with the physics of modern theories of gravity in as much detail. However the focus is on the physics, not the mathematics. This means you can consider the physics without getting bogged down in the mathematics of curved space-time. So if you want to know what the physical basis of magneto-gratvitation is, or know how a Kerr metric differs from a Schwartzchild one and more importantly what those things mean for the physics, then this is definitely the book for you.
Whilst there is a good deal of maths in the book it's based on high-school equation solving and algebra. The author has been careful to only use mathematics where it's necessary to support physical conclusions, or to extend arguments. The text is highly readable, but doesn't draw back from explaining moderately complex physical phenomena such as the formation and structure white dwarves and neutron stars and what causes a super-nova. Worked case studies are considered which provide order of magnitude calculations of important physical processes. These are highly illuminating in answering questions such as "Is it possible for a neutron start to be the size of a basketball?"
To further support the reader's curiosity, there's access to a web-site which allows you to download a software system which implements some of the more complicated mathematics. Again the emphasis is on allowing you to investigate 'what happens if' by considering scenarios in the software rather than having to implement the mathemetical models yourself. The software is easy to use and a great supporting feature to the book, though it isn't necessary to use the software to get a huge amount from the text alone. The last few chapters of the book review the cutting edge of theories of gravitation in the context of the Big Bang, cosmology and finally quantum gravity. Again, all the discussion is easy to follow but leads to some interesting and enlightening conclusions.
This book really falls nicely between the 'Pop Science' paperbacks which rely too much on less than clear or appropriate analogies along with phrases like 'it can be shown that...' and graduate texts which offer the full treatment along with the mathematics.
If you have an interest in the physics of gravitation but don't want to spend two years getting up to speed with the maths then this is the book for you.

A great book!!!, 19 Nov 2004
An amazing book about physic. Very very recommendable!!!!

Another great from Schutz, 18 Feb 2004
B. Schutz has already written two excellent textbooks with Cambridge University Press, at the graduate student level. This long awaited book (publication has been delayed a few times by CUP) is a more accessible entry into the field of gravitation. Basically, someone wanting to discover the field (no pun) should read this one first then possibly the other two to go into the real details.
It is a large and extremely dense book. A lot of information is included, with historical notes, numerous illustrations, exercises (solutions can be obtained on the book's web site), even computer simulations (it seems you can download the s/w from the web but I have not tried that).
Although you will not find explicit advanced maths in this book, there is no compromise on the physics and it demands some effort for a newcomer I guess. I am personally an engineer who has read (most of) his two other books so this one was easier, but by no means a repetition.
I think this book is definitely the best introduction to gravity you can get, with excellent value for money.
If you are serious about getting some necessary background into gravitation, buy it and read it.

THE book for GR, 08 Dec 2007
This is not a book of general relativity, it is the book of relativity! It is clear, really stimulating and all comprehensive.
It is written in a very peculiar and colourful style, perhaps it is not the best choice in order to learn quickly the subject nor for quick reference. If you want to really understand and appreciate general relativity, well then here you come.

The most beautiful textbook to come out of the 1970s, 25 Mar 2004
I used to drool over this book in the university bookshop. It was, by far, the best laid-out textbook I had ever seen. It was expensive, even by the standards of 1980, the year I eventually bought it.

This probably disqualifies me as an Amazon reviewer, but I have to admit that I've never read it. I was a mathematician by degree, and am now a writer on marketing matters. Whenever I need inspiration on how to lay out and explain a complex concept which needs both words and diagrams, this is the book I return to.

The handbook of General Relativity, 20 May 2001
I recognise "Gravitation" is not the best mathematical exposition of General Relativity, it is also 27 years old. Nevertheless, it is the best reference book if it goes with other more elementary texts, like B.Schutz, or with other approach, like Weinberg. "Gravitation" is huge, great, comprehensive, practically complete and has glossy paper. It must be in every theoretical physicist assortment. I recommend it not for beginners, but for those who have learnt at least a little about Relativity and Differential Geometry. It treats with:

- Review of Special Relativity - Flat elementary Differential Geometry. - Electromagnetism and Differential forms. - The Stress-Energy tensor. - Newtonian gravity. - Differential and Riemannian Geometry (a special approach for physicists). - Equivalence principle and field equation. - Variational principles. - Classical Physics in curved spacetimes. - Relativistic stars. - Cosmology - Schwarzschild solution and black holes. - Global techniques and singularities (a little, for this I recommend Wald's book). - Gravitational waves. - Experimental tests. - Mathematical frontiers.

do not buy it!!!, 26 Apr 2001
The mathematical background is all along set up in an unconsistent manner. Experimental data do not fit with modern experimental science ( cosmology in particular). I would rather recommend to read "Introduction to gravitation" by Doctor J.Keats or to start with the "First introduction to general relativity" by Papa Shutz.

Amazing!, 28 Jul 1998
The world would be less beautiful if this book didn't exist. What a remarkable feat! The sequence that leads from the very basic concept of spacetime to the computation of the components of Riemann tensor by using forms and the Cartan equations is unparalleled. A lot of mathematical formulas follow from simple reasoning and ... drawings! The introduction of Schild's ladder to motivate the axioms for a (torsionless) connection is very clever. The introduction of curvature by means of geodesic deviation is very intuitive. The derivation of the expression for the geodesic deviation (and, consequently, of the expression for the Riemann tensor) is, again, completely intuitive. The chapter on spinors is very beautiful and useful. Still, I would never recommend this book for a beginner. For it is absolutely non-linear. I have been told that this corresponds to the ideas of Wheeler's concerning learning. Sometimes an argument at chapter 4 (say) depends on something that is intr! oduced in chapter 8. Also, the three tracks (first, second and boxes)interfere all the time, requiring much discipline from the reader. If, however, you already learned the basics (for instance, in Landau, Lifshitz), so that you know what you are looking for, "Gravitation" is unbeatable, of a class apart. I've seen mathematicians adopting the language introduced by them to explain tensors: a slot for each argument of the multilinear machine! Last, not the least, the Index and the References are of the highest quality. This shows respect for the readers. Drs. Misner, Thorne and Wheeler are to be congratulated.

Excellent Material to begin with and test yourself., 21 Feb 2005
I'm a second year astrophysics student from Ireland.
Recently I've tried to learn the Mathematics of General Relativity in detail, outside of my course and have bought numerous books in the process.

In my opinion this book and "A First Course in General Relativity by Bernard F. Schutz" are perfect complementary texts to learn the main basis of General Relativity on your own.

The author has provided an unbelievable amount of questions and not a single one of them is pointless exercise.

The book is Divided into three sections:

Part 1: Metric description of Space-Time
Very well written intro to General Relativity which delves into Black Holes and Mercury's Orbit, without the full on Field Equation and Tensors.

Part 2: Cosmology
Still keeping to the metric description of space-time, cosmology is introduced. The mathematics of concepts like the closed and open universes are explained really well.

Part 3: Full Tensor Formulism
I was able to learn Tensors from this, using Chapter 3 from Schutz's book as a companion.

The questions at the end of each chapter really test your knowledge and after reading this you will be able to manipulate the field equation for simple cases and move onto more advanced books if you wish.

A pearl., 09 Mar 2003
A lovely reprinted Dover edition of a peral from Gamow. The original 1962 edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 2003 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. The author Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII, and after the war, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus named after him! The books he wrote are pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. Luckely some have been reprinted! Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!

A very enlightening tour of Gravity!, 19 Sep 2006
Modern theories of gravitation are notorously difficult to grasp in any detail largely because of the volumes of off-putting mathemetics which comes with them. The Newtonian picture of an infinite force which acts instantaneously throughout the universe and follows a simple mathematical form required to calculate cannon shell trajectories for example is about as far as most people get with the subject. Even the more complex subject of two-body orbits can be daunting, never mind three or more bodies.
This book deals with Newtonian gravity in detail, covering things like cannon shell trajectories and then orbital mechanics including the sling shot process used to propel inter-planetary probes, but then goes on to deal with the physics of modern theories of gravity in as much detail. However the focus is on the physics, not the mathematics. This means you can consider the physics without getting bogged down in the mathematics of curved space-time. So if you want to know what the physical basis of magneto-gratvitation is, or know how a Kerr metric differs from a Schwartzchild one and more importantly what those things mean for the physics, then this is definitely the book for you.
Whilst there is a good deal of maths in the book it's based on high-school equation solving and algebra. The author has been careful to only use mathematics where it's necessary to support physical conclusions, or to extend arguments. The text is highly readable, but doesn't draw back from explaining moderately complex physical phenomena such as the formation and structure white dwarves and neutron stars and what causes a super-nova. Worked case studies are considered which provide order of magnitude calculations of important physical processes. These are highly illuminating in answering questions such as "Is it possible for a neutron start to be the size of a basketball?"
To further support the reader's curiosity, there's access to a web-site which allows you to download a software system which implements some of the more complicated mathematics. Again the emphasis is on allowing you to investigate 'what happens if' by considering scenarios in the software rather than having to implement the mathemetical models yourself. The software is easy to use and a great supporting feature to the book, though it isn't necessary to use the software to get a huge amount from the text alone. The last few chapters of the book review the cutting edge of theories of gravitation in the context of the Big Bang, cosmology and finally quantum gravity. Again, all the discussion is easy to follow but leads to some interesting and enlightening conclusions.
This book really falls nicely between the 'Pop Science' paperbacks which rely too much on less than clear or appropriate analogies along with phrases like 'it can be shown that...' and graduate texts which offer the full treatment along with the mathematics.
If you have an interest in the physics of gravitation but don't want to spend two years getting up to speed with the maths then this is the book for you.

A great book!!!, 19 Nov 2004
An amazing book about physic. Very very recommendable!!!!

Another great from Schutz, 18 Feb 2004
B. Schutz has already written two excellent textbooks with Cambridge University Press, at the graduate student level. This long awaited book (publication has been delayed a few times by CUP) is a more accessible entry into the field of gravitation. Basically, someone wanting to discover the field (no pun) should read this one first then possibly the other two to go into the real details.
It is a large and extremely dense book. A lot of information is included, with historical notes, numerous illustrations, exercises (solutions can be obtained on the book's web site), even computer simulations (it seems you can download the s/w from the web but I have not tried that).
Although you will not find explicit advanced maths in this book, there is no compromise on the physics and it demands some effort for a newcomer I guess. I am personally an engineer who has read (most of) his two other books so this one was easier, but by no means a repetition.
I think this book is definitely the best introduction to gravity you can get, with excellent value for money.
If you are serious about getting some necessary background into gravitation, buy it and read it.

Mathematical physics., 14 Aug 2002
Spectral theory for the heat equation represents one of the
more exciting points of interaction between math and physics:
It also serves as a deep link, via spectral theory, between geometry(math), and quantum gravity(physics). While the subject has roots far back, this lovely book presents some of the more exciting developments in the past decade. One of the success stories in interdisciplinary theoretical science! It is well written, and will be a great source for grad students. This very nice book further points toward the research trends of the future. Moreover, the results presented in the book are timeless. The book will be of value also ten years from now. Being an acknowledged authority in the subject, this author is in a unique position to write a book on the central themes and theories in the subject.

Mathematical physics., 14 Aug 2002
Spectral theory for the heat equation represents one of the
more exciting points of interaction between math and physics:
It also serves as a deep link, via spectral theory, between geometry(math), and quantum gravity(physics). While the subject has roots far back, this lovely book presents some of the more exciting developments in the past decade. One of the success stories in interdisciplinary theoretical science! It is well written, and will be a great source for grad students. This very nice book further points toward the research trends of the future. Moreover, the results presented in the book are timeless. The book will be of value also ten years from now. Being an acknowledged authority in the subject, this author is in a unique position to write a book on the central themes and theories in the subject.

THE book for GR, 08 Dec 2007
This is not a book of general relativity, it is the book of relativity! It is clear, really stimulating and all comprehensive.
It is written in a very peculiar and colourful style, perhaps it is not the best choice in order to learn quickly the subject nor for quick reference. If you want to really understand and appreciate general relativity, well then here you come.

The most beautiful textbook to come out of the 1970s, 25 Mar 2004
I used to drool over this book in the university bookshop. It was, by far, the best laid-out textbook I had ever seen. It was expensive, even by the standards of 1980, the year I eventually bought it.

This probably disqualifies me as an Amazon reviewer, but I have to admit that I've never read it. I was a mathematician by degree, and am now a writer on marketing matters. Whenever I need inspiration on how to lay out and explain a complex concept which needs both words and diagrams, this is the book I return to.

The handbook of General Relativity, 20 May 2001
I recognise "Gravitation" is not the best mathematical exposition of General Relativity, it is also 27 years old. Nevertheless, it is the best reference book if it goes with other more elementary texts, like B.Schutz, or with other approach, like Weinberg. "Gravitation" is huge, great, comprehensive, practically complete and has glossy paper. It must be in every theoretical physicist assortment. I recommend it not for beginners, but for those who have learnt at least a little about Relativity and Differential Geometry. It treats with:

- Review of Special Relativity - Flat elementary Differential Geometry. - Electromagnetism and Differential forms. - The Stress-Energy tensor. - Newtonian gravity. - Differential and Riemannian Geometry (a special approach for physicists). - Equivalence principle and field equation. - Variational principles. - Classical Physics in curved spacetimes. - Relativistic stars. - Cosmology - Schwarzschild solution and black holes. - Global techniques and singularities (a little, for this I recommend Wald's book). - Gravitational waves. - Experimental tests. - Mathematical frontiers.

do not buy it!!!, 26 Apr 2001
The mathematical background is all along set up in an unconsistent manner. Experimental data do not fit with modern experimental science ( cosmology in particular). I would rather recommend to read "Introduction to gravitation" by Doctor J.Keats or to start with the "First introduction to general relativity" by Papa Shutz.

Amazing!, 28 Jul 1998
The world would be less beautiful if this book didn't exist. What a remarkable feat! The sequence that leads from the very basic concept of spacetime to the computation of the components of Riemann tensor by using forms and the Cartan equations is unparalleled. A lot of mathematical formulas follow from simple reasoning and ... drawings! The introduction of Schild's ladder to motivate the axioms for a (torsionless) connection is very clever. The introduction of curvature by means of geodesic deviation is very intuitive. The derivation of the expression for the geodesic deviation (and, consequently, of the expression for the Riemann tensor) is, again, completely intuitive. The chapter on spinors is very beautiful and useful. Still, I would never recommend this book for a beginner. For it is absolutely non-linear. I have been told that this corresponds to the ideas of Wheeler's concerning learning. Sometimes an argument at chapter 4 (say) depends on something that is intr! oduced in chapter 8. Also, the three tracks (first, second and boxes)interfere all the time, requiring much discipline from the reader. If, however, you already learned the basics (for instance, in Landau, Lifshitz), so that you know what you are looking for, "Gravitation" is unbeatable, of a class apart. I've seen mathematicians adopting the language introduced by them to explain tensors: a slot for each argument of the multilinear machine! Last, not the least, the Index and the References are of the highest quality. This shows respect for the readers. Drs. Misner, Thorne and Wheeler are to be congratulated.

Excellent Material to begin with and test yourself., 21 Feb 2005
I'm a second year astrophysics student from Ireland.
Recently I've tried to learn the Mathematics of General Relativity in detail, outside of my course and have bought numerous books in the process.

In my opinion this book and "A First Course in General Relativity by Bernard F. Schutz" are perfect complementary texts to learn the main basis of General Relativity on your own.

The author has provided an unbelievable amount of questions and not a single one of them is pointless exercise.

The book is Divided into three sections:

Part 1: Metric description of Space-Time
Very well written intro to General Relativity which delves into Black Holes and Mercury's Orbit, without the full on Field Equation and Tensors.

Part 2: Cosmology
Still keeping to the metric description of space-time, cosmology is introduced. The mathematics of concepts like the closed and open universes are explained really well.

Part 3: Full Tensor Formulism
I was able to learn Tensors from this, using Chapter 3 from Schutz's book as a companion.

The questions at the end of each chapter really test your knowledge and after reading this you will be able to manipulate the field equation for simple cases and move onto more advanced books if you wish.

A pearl., 09 Mar 2003
A lovely reprinted Dover edition of a peral from Gamow. The original 1962 edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 2003 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. The author Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII, and after the war, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus named after him! The books he wrote are pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. Luckely some have been reprinted! Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!

A very enlightening tour of Gravity!, 19 Sep 2006
Modern theories of gravitation are notorously difficult to grasp in any detail largely because of the volumes of off-putting mathemetics which comes with them. The Newtonian picture of an infinite force which acts instantaneously throughout the universe and follows a simple mathematical form required to calculate cannon shell trajectories for example is about as far as most people get with the subject. Even the more complex subject of two-body orbits can be daunting, never mind three or more bodies.
This book deals with Newtonian gravity in detail, covering things like cannon shell trajectories and then orbital mechanics including the sling shot process used to propel inter-planetary probes, but then goes on to deal with the physics of modern theories of gravity in as much detail. However the focus is on the physics, not the mathematics. This means you can consider the physics without getting bogged down in the mathematics of curved space-time. So if you want to know what the physical basis of magneto-gratvitation is, or know how a Kerr metric differs from a Schwartzchild one and more importantly what those things mean for the physics, then this is definitely the book for you.
Whilst there is a good deal of maths in the book it's based on high-school equation solving and algebra. The author has been careful to only use mathematics where it's necessary to support physical conclusions, or to extend arguments. The text is highly readable, but doesn't draw back from explaining moderately complex physical phenomena such as the formation and structure white dwarves and neutron stars and what causes a super-nova. Worked case studies are considered which provide order of magnitude calculations of important physical processes. These are highly illuminating in answering questions such as "Is it possible for a neutron start to be the size of a basketball?"
To further support the reader's curiosity, there's access to a web-site which allows you to download a software system which implements some of the more complicated mathematics. Again the emphasis is on allowing you to investigate 'what happens if' by considering scenarios in the software rather than having to implement the mathemetical models yourself. The software is easy to use and a great supporting feature to the book, though it isn't necessary to use the software to get a huge amount from the text alone. The last few chapters of the book review the cutting edge of theories of gravitation in the context of the Big Bang, cosmology and finally quantum gravity. Again, all the discussion is easy to follow but leads to some interesting and enlightening conclusions.
This book really falls nicely between the 'Pop Science' paperbacks which rely too much on less than clear or appropriate analogies along with phrases like 'it can be shown that...' and graduate texts which offer the full treatment along with the mathematics.
If you have an interest in the physics of gravitation but don't want to spend two years getting up to speed with the maths then this is the book for you.

A great book!!!, 19 Nov 2004
An amazing book about physic. Very very recommendable!!!!

Another great from Schutz, 18 Feb 2004
B. Schutz has already written two excellent textbooks with Cambridge University Press, at the graduate student level. This long awaited book (publication has been delayed a few times by CUP) is a more accessible entry into the field of gravitation. Basically, someone wanting to discover the field (no pun) should read this one first then possibly the other two to go into the real details.
It is a large and extremely dense book. A lot of information is included, with historical notes, numerous illustrations, exercises (solutions can be obtained on the book's web site), even computer simulations (it seems you can download the s/w from the web but I have not tried that).
Although you will not find explicit advanced maths in this book, there is no compromise on the physics and it demands some effort for a newcomer I guess. I am personally an engineer who has read (most of) his two other books so this one was easier, but by no means a repetition.
I think this book is definitely the best introduction to gravity you can get, with excellent value for money.
If you are serious about getting some necessary background into gravitation, buy it and read it.

Mathematical physics., 14 Aug 2002
Spectral theory for the heat equation represents one of the
more exciting points of interaction between math and physics:
It also serves as a deep link, via spectral theory, between geometry(math), and quantum gravity(physics). While the subject has roots far back, this lovely book presents some of the more exciting developments in the past decade. One of the success stories in interdisciplinary theoretical science! It is well written, and will be a great source for grad students. This very nice book further points toward the research trends of the future. Moreover, the results presented in the book are timeless. The book will be of value also ten years from now. Being an acknowledged authority in the subject, this author is in a unique position to write a book on the central themes and theories in the subject.

Mathematical physics., 14 Aug 2002
Spectral theory for the heat equation represents one of the
more exciting points of interaction between math and physics:
It also serves as a deep link, via spectral theory, between geometry(math), and quantum gravity(physics). While the subject has roots far back, this lovely book presents some of the more exciting developments in the past decade. One of the success stories in interdisciplinary theoretical science! It is well written, and will be a great source for grad students. This very nice book further points toward the research trends of the future. Moreover, the results presented in the book are timeless. The book will be of value also ten years from now. Being an acknowledged authority in the subject, this author is in a unique position to write a book on the central themes and theories in the subject.

Gravitation made understandable, 29 Jun 2007
The search for gravitational waves has been going on for almost 100 years ever since Einstein postulated their existence. This book is a history of that search. This is a complex subject matter (if it was easy the waves would have been already found) but it is written in such an engaging and user friendly manner that it becomes a journey rather than an expedition. The author has an easy story telling style that many popular science books lack and this helps enormously with understanding. The analogies are clear and the feeling of "Oh so that's how it looks" brings the oft times complicated theories to life.
I would have given this book 5 stars but for the fact theat it isn't instantly accessible to everyone. I have no background at all in physics and so some of the maths (actually all of the maths) was over my head. This didn't detract from the story of the search in any way but it would have been nice to have been able to understand a bit more, this is a personal problem, however, rather that a textual.
Kenneficks personal encounter with Wheeler,Thorne etc gives a very "hands on" feeling and this easy intimacy with the subject and protaganists makes for an excellent read. Well worth the purchase price as this book will also become an important part of the ongoing search for the elusive waves.

THE book for GR, 08 Dec 2007
This is not a book of general relativity, it is the book of relativity! It is clear, really stimulating and all comprehensive.
It is written in a very peculiar and colourful style, perhaps it is not the best choice in order to learn quickly the subject nor for quick reference. If you want to really understand and appreciate general relativity, well then here you come.

The most beautiful textbook to come out of the 1970s, 25 Mar 2004
I used to drool over this book in the university bookshop. It was, by far, the best laid-out textbook I had ever seen. It was expensive, even by the standards of 1980, the year I eventually bought it.

This probably disqualifies me as an Amazon reviewer, but I have to admit that I've never read it. I was a mathematician by degree, and am now a writer on marketing matters. Whenever I need inspiration on how to lay out and explain a complex concept which needs both words and diagrams, this is the book I return to.

The handbook of General Relativity, 20 May 2001
I recognise "Gravitation" is not the best mathematical exposition of General Relativity, it is also 27 years old. Nevertheless, it is the best reference book if it goes with other more elementary texts, like B.Schutz, or with other approach, like Weinberg. "Gravitation" is huge, great, comprehensive, practically complete and has glossy paper. It must be in every theoretical physicist assortment. I recommend it not for beginners, but for those who have learnt at least a little about Relativity and Differential Geometry. It treats with:

- Review of Special Relativity - Flat elementary Differential Geometry. - Electromagnetism and Differential forms. - The Stress-Energy tensor. - Newtonian gravity. - Differential and Riemannian Geometry (a special approach for physicists). - Equivalence principle and field equation. - Variational principles. - Classical Physics in curved spacetimes. - Relativistic stars. - Cosmology - Schwarzschild solution and black holes. - Global techniques and singularities (a little, for this I recommend Wald's book). - Gravitational waves. - Experimental tests. - Mathematical frontiers.

do not buy it!!!, 26 Apr 2001
The mathematical background is all along set up in an unconsistent manner. Experimental data do not fit with modern experimental science ( cosmology in particular). I would rather recommend to read "Introduction to gravitation" by Doctor J.Keats or to start with the "First introduction to general relativity" by Papa Shutz.

Amazing!, 28 Jul 1998
The world would be less beautiful if this book didn't exist. What a remarkable feat! The sequence that leads from the very basic concept of spacetime to the computation of the components of Riemann tensor by using forms and the Cartan equations is unparalleled. A lot of mathematical formulas follow from simple reasoning and ... drawings! The introduction of Schild's ladder to motivate the axioms for a (torsionless) connection is very clever. The introduction of curvature by means of geodesic deviation is very intuitive. The derivation of the expression for the geodesic deviation (and, consequently, of the expression for the Riemann tensor) is, again, completely intuitive. The chapter on spinors is very beautiful and useful. Still, I would never recommend this book for a beginner. For it is absolutely non-linear. I have been told that this corresponds to the ideas of Wheeler's concerning learning. Sometimes an argument at chapter 4 (say) depends on something that is intr! oduced in chapter 8. Also, the three tracks (first, second and boxes)interfere all the time, requiring much discipline from the reader. If, however, you already learned the basics (for instance, in Landau, Lifshitz), so that you know what you are looking for, "Gravitation" is unbeatable, of a class apart. I've seen mathematicians adopting the language introduced by them to explain tensors: a slot for each argument of the multilinear machine! Last, not the least, the Index and the References are of the highest quality. This shows respect for the readers. Drs. Misner, Thorne and Wheeler are to be congratulated.

Excellent Material to begin with and test yourself., 21 Feb 2005
I'm a second year astrophysics student from Ireland.
Recently I've tried to learn the Mathematics of General Relativity in detail, outside of my course and have bought numerous books in the process.

In my opinion this book and "A First Course in General Relativity by Bernard F. Schutz" are perfect complementary texts to learn the main basis of General Relativity on your own.

The author has provided an unbelievable amount of questions and not a single one of them is pointless exercise.

The book is Divided into three sections:

Part 1: Metric description of Space-Time
Very well written intro to General Relativity which delves into Black Holes and Mercury's Orbit, without the full on Field Equation and Tensors.

Part 2: Cosmology
Still keeping to the metric description of space-time, cosmology is introduced. The mathematics of concepts like the closed and open universes are explained really well.

Part 3: Full Tensor Formulism
I was able to learn Tensors from this, using Chapter 3 from Schutz's book as a companion.

The questions at the end of each chapter really test your knowledge and after reading this you will be able to manipulate the field equation for simple cases and move onto more advanced books if you wish.

A pearl., 09 Mar 2003
A lovely reprinted Dover edition of a peral from Gamow. The original 1962 edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 2003 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. The author Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII, and after the war, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus named after him! The books he wrote are pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. Luckely some have been reprinted! Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!

A very enlightening tour of Gravity!, 19 Sep 2006
Modern theories of gravitation are notorously difficult to grasp in any detail largely because of the volumes of off-putting mathemetics which comes with them. The Newtonian picture of an infinite force which acts instantaneously throughout the universe and follows a simple mathematical form required to calculate cannon shell trajectories for example is about as far as most people get with the subject. Even the more complex subject of two-body orbits can be daunting, never mind three or more bodies.
This book deals with Newtonian gravity in detail, covering things like cannon shell trajectories and then orbital mechanics including the sling shot process used to propel inter-planetary probes, but then goes on to deal with the physics of modern theories of gravity in as much detail. However the focus is on the physics, not the mathematics. This means you can consider the physics without getting bogged down in the mathematics of curved space-time. So if you want to know what the physical basis of magneto-gratvitation is, or know how a Kerr metric differs from a Schwartzchild one and more importantly what those things mean for the physics, then this is definitely the book for you.
Whilst there is a good deal of maths in the book it's based on high-school equation solving and algebra. The author has been careful to only use mathematics where it's necessary to support physical conclusions, or to extend arguments. The text is highly readable, but doesn't draw back from explaining moderately complex physical phenomena such as the formation and structure white dwarves and neutron stars and what causes a super-nova. Worked case studies are considered which provide order of magnitude calculations of important physical processes. These are highly illuminating in answering questions such as "Is it possible for a neutron start to be the size of a basketball?"
To further support the reader's curiosity, there's access to a web-site which allows you to download a software system which implements some of the more complicated mathematics. Again the emphasis is on allowing you to investigate 'what happens if' by considering scenarios in the software rather than having to implement the mathemetical models yourself. The software is easy to use and a great supporting feature to the book, though it isn't necessary to use the software to get a huge amount from the text alone. The last few chapters of the book review the cutting edge of theories of gravitation in the context of the Big Bang, cosmology and finally quantum gravity. Again, all the discussion is easy to follow but leads to some interesting and enlightening conclusions.
This book really falls nicely between the 'Pop Science' paperbacks which rely too much on less than clear or appropriate analogies along with phrases like 'it can be shown that...' and graduate texts which offer the full treatment along with the mathematics.
If you have an interest in the physics of gravitation but don't want to spend two years getting up to speed with the maths then this is the book for you.

A great book!!!, 19 Nov 2004
An amazing book about physic. Very very recommendable!!!!

Another great from Schutz, 18 Feb 2004
B. Schutz has already written two excellent textbooks with Cambridge University Press, at the graduate student level. This long awaited book (publication has been delayed a few times by CUP) is a more accessible entry into the field of gravitation. Basically, someone wanting to discover the field (no pun) should read this one first then possibly the other two to go into the real details.
It is a large and extremely dense book. A lot of information is included, with historical notes, numerous illustrations, exercises (solutions can be obtained on the book's web site), even computer simulations (it seems you can download the s/w from the web but I have not tried that).
Although you will not find explicit advanced maths in this book, there is no compromise on the physics and it demands some effort for a newcomer I guess. I am personally an engineer who has read (most of) his two other books so this one was easier, but by no means a repetition.
I think this book is definitely the best introduction to gravity you can get, with excellent value for money.
If you are serious about getting some necessary background into gravitation, buy it and read it.

Mathematical physics., 14 Aug 2002
Spectral theory for the heat equation represents one of the
more exciting points of interaction between math and physics:
It also serves as a deep link, via spectral theory, between geometry(math), and quantum gravity(physics). While the subject has roots far back, this lovely book presents some of the more exciting developments in the past decade. One of the success stories in interdisciplinary theoretical science! It is well written, and will be a great source for grad students. This very nice book further points toward the research trends of the future. Moreover, the results presented in the book are timeless. The book will be of value also ten years from now. Being an acknowledged authority in the subject, this author is in a unique position to write a book on the central themes and theories in the subject.

Mathematical physics., 14 Aug 2002
Spectral theory for the heat equation represents one of the
more exciting points of interaction between math and physics:
It also serves as a deep link, via spectral theory, between geometry(math), and quantum gravity(physics). While the subject has roots far back, this lovely book presents some of the more exciting developments in the past decade. One of the success stories in interdisciplinary theoretical science! It is well written, and will be a great source for grad students. This very nice book further points toward the research trends of the future. Moreover, the results presented in the book are timeless. The book will be of value also ten years from now. Being an acknowledged authority in the subject, this author is in a unique position to write a book on the central themes and theories in the subject.

Gravitation made understandable, 29 Jun 2007
The search for gravitational waves has been going on for almost 100 years ever since Einstein postulated their existence. This book is a history of that search. This is a complex subject matter (if it was easy the waves would have been already found) but it is written in such an engaging and user friendly manner that it becomes a journey rather than an expedition. The author has an easy story telling style that many popular science books lack and this helps enormously with understanding. The analogies are clear and the feeling of "Oh so that's how it looks" brings the oft times complicated theories to life.
I would have given this book 5 stars but for the fact theat it isn't instantly accessible to everyone. I have no background at all in physics and so some of the maths (actually all of the maths) was over my head. This didn't detract from the story of the search in any way but it would have been nice to have been able to understand a bit more, this is a personal problem, however, rather that a textual.
Kenneficks personal encounter with Wheeler,Thorne etc gives a very "hands on" feeling and this easy intimacy with the subject and protaganists makes for an excellent read. Well worth the purchase price as this book will also become an important part of the ongoing search for the elusive waves.

best high level review of state-of-the-art physics, 17 Apr 2003
This is the most comprehensive and fascinating review of today's phisicists struggle to find the 'theory of everything'. Very well written, clear but always up to the point, it contains essays by both philosophers and physicists along a very clear and well organized path. It is not for the fainthearted, since you need to know quite a lot of physics in order to take full advantage of it, but even for the occasional reader it's full of beatifully drawn insights. And it will change forever the way you look at the world around you.

Essential Reading for Philosophers of Physics!, 23 Apr 2001
Firstly, most of the essays appearing in this book are available as preprints. However, it is still very handy to have all of these marvelous papers collected together in a single volume.

So who should buy this book?

(1) Philosophers of physics who are looking to get into this field - and are perhaps a little put off by the considerable technical hurdles one must leap over in order to understand the journal articles (and who are getting a little bored of doing the interpretation of quantum mechanics!).

(2) Physicists who wish to understand the conceptual difficulties spawned by their work or the work of their collegues. Also, possibly physicsts who wish to get a quick n' easy fix.

We could maybe add a third category:

(3) Philosophers of space and time.

This is because most of the difficulties of quantum gravity (certainly those discussed in these essays, e.g."Spacetime and the Philosophical Challenge of Quantum Gravity", by Isham & Butterfield) arise from the difference between the treatments of spacetime in general relativity and quantum mechanics: briefly, localization is relative in general relativity but not in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. This problem could be a treasure trove for philosophers of space and time willing to spend a bit of time and effort learning the physics (but they do tend to be a lazy bunch on the whole, generally stopping at special relativity!).

As regards category (1), there are three excellent articles which could serve as introductions to the various theories of quantum gravity: these are the papers by Isham & Butterfield, Baez, and Rovelli. They are quite remarkable achievements, understandable by those with only a meagre amount of maths and physics knowledge (the Baez paper is one of the most amazingly well written papers I've ever read). There are many unresolved problems mentioned for the philosophers to get stuck into - many would provide good research topics for ambitious MA and PhD students.

I expect those in category (2) will find some of the primarily philosophical papers a little weak - particularly Weinstein's paper "Naive Quantum Gravity" in which he discusses a particular implementation of quantum gravity according to which a theory of quantum gravity entails a fluctuating gravitational field at each spacetime point - why bother? No one is today proposing such a view so who is this directed at?

I would have liked to have seen a detailed introductory essay concentrating solely on the hole argument, diffeomorphism invariance, and their relation to the problem of quantum gravity. This would have set many of the later essays up nicely. This is my only serious criticism.

In conclusion, this is a truly remarkable book and Huggett and Callender should be praised for having the gumption to get it done!