Gravitation

by Charles W. Misner (Author, Introduction), Kip S. Thorne (Author, Introduction), John Archibald Wheeler (Author),

526 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0691177793

ISBN-10: 9780691177793

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First published in 1973, Gravitation is a landmark graduate-level textbook that presents Einstein’s general theory of relativity and offers a rigorous, full-year course on the physics of gravitation. Upon publication, Science called it “a pedagogic masterpiece,” and it has since become a classic, considered essential reading for every serious student and researcher in the field of relativity. This authoritative text has shaped the research of generations of physicists and astronomers, and the book continues to influence the way experts think about the subject.

With an emphasis on geometric interpretation, this masterful and comprehensive book introduces the theory of relativity; describes physical applications, from stars to black holes and gravitational waves; and portrays the field’s frontiers. The book also offers a unique, alternating, two-track pathway through the subject. Material focusing on basic physical ideas is designated as Track 1 and formulates an appropriate one-semester graduate-level course. The remaining Track 2 material provides a wealth of advanced topics instructors can draw on for a two-semester course, with Track 1 sections serving as prerequisites.

This must-have reference for students and scholars of relativity includes a new preface by David Kaiser, reflecting on the history of the book’s publication and reception, and a new introduction by Charles Misner and Kip Thorne, discussing exciting developments in the field since the book’s original publication.

The book teaches students to:
Grasp the laws of physics in flat and curved spacetime
Predict orders of magnitude
Calculate using the principal tools of modern geometry
Understand Einstein's geometric framework for physics
Explore applications, including neutron stars, Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes, gravitational collapse, gravitational waves, cosmology, and so much more

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kip S. Thorne, Co-Winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics"

Review

"Gravitation is a classic."―David Spergel, Princeton University

"Gravitation is the encyclopedic, definitive exposition of general relativity as of 1970. Any serious researcher of general relativity will want to have this book at hand."―Andrew Hamilton, University of Colorado, Boulder

"Gravitation has been a very influential book in the field, and it gives a remarkably thorough treatment of what's relevant in general relativity today."―Frans Pretorius, Princeton University

"This book is considered the Bible for everyone in the field of gravitation."―Alberto Vecchio, University of Birmingham

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0691177791
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton University Press (October 24, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 1280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780691177793
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0691177793
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.9 x 2.2 x 9.9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #66,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #12 in Physics of Gravity (Books)
- #17 in Astronomy & Astrophysics
- #144 in Astrophysics & Space Science (Books)

Customer Reviews:
526 ratings

About the authors

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Charles W. Misner
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Kip S. Thorne
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Kip Thorne is the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics Emeritus at Caltech, an executive producer for Interstellar, and the author of books including the bestselling Black Holes and Time Warps. He lives in Pasadena, California.
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Nick O.

An all-purpose utility for your home office needs

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2020

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When my PhD adviser recommended me this classic of general relativity, I was not prepared for the breadth of use that I would find for it! Pouring over pages and pages of this masterpiece, from the foundings of special relativity to the differential geometry that underlies general relativity to the chapters on gravitational waves that portend the era of gravitational wave astronomy we now find ourselves in, you quickly realize that the true beauty of this textbook exists outside its pages. Truly, following the first week of purchase until now (amounting to about two months), I have found that I got my money's worth without ever opening the inky black hard cover of this absolute unit. From its smooth, tactile surface to its brick-like dimensions, I have found so many more uses for Gravitation than I ever gambled for. In the evening, after a long day of drawn-out Zoom calls, Gravitation is the nightstand on which I empty the contents of my pocket or leave other books. Before, my neck would hurt from constantly craning forward to the blue light of my laptop screen. But, with Gravitation, I've found an excellent laptop stand, and my neck hurts no longer. When my wrist hurt from reaching towards that low, low mouse all day, I put the mouse on top of Gravitation and, aghast, found that Misner, Thorne and Wheeler had done it again. This masterful work of theirs healed my ailing wrist. On the occasion I needed to hold my door open, I would find that other textbooks (such as Gravity, by Hartle), never had the disposition to be up for the job. Indeed, the door would simply close anyways, and I would cry, "Why, God? Why haven't you given me a textbook with the sheer mass necessary to hold this door open?" And, I remember that one clear July morning when Gravitation arrived on my doorstep and I felt it in my hands, I knew: my prayers had been answered. Dear friends, I make no higher recommendation than for you to purchase this textbook.

45 people found this helpful

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CFortC

Fabulous bargain for a monumental classic

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2017

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Although I had a paperback copy of the original W.H. Freeman release, the remarkable price of about $50 for this new hardcover 2017 version from Princeton University Press was too tempting to pass up. To anyone else considering this purchase, be assured that the quality of the book has been completely retained - paper, type, construction, etc. - also the heft of the book.

The new foreword by David Kaiser lays out the history of the original, and also how this new edition came about.

The new preface by Messrs. Misner and Thorne gives some additional background of the work and also a chapter-by-chapter commentary on how advances in the gravitation field have impacted the material.

In summary, for a prospective purchaser of this monumental classic, this new 2017 Princeton University Press edition is the runaway top choice for quality AND price.

74 people found this helpful

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Frank

New hardcopy edition is beautiful!

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2017

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The book was originally published by Freeman in 1973, a great event in the publishing history.
Since then Gravitation has become a unique resource for anyone interested in learning general
relativity and spacetime physics. One of authors Kip Thorne has just won the Nobel Prize in physics
last week for his groundbreaking work in gravitational wave detection. But in my view, all the three authors
deserved a Nobel Prize long ago for writing such a wonderful book. There is no need to repeat
how wonderful this book is, but it worth menntioning that I am now particularly happy with the new
HARDCOPY issued by Princeton University press, the book is made beautifully in terms of
binding and printing quality, and importantly, the price is low enough to make it available to
all young students who wish to read this great book.

30 people found this helpful

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James L. Machie, Jr.

A little too much rambling but good overall

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2018

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I bought this book based on the hype that it's something every serious Physics student should read. I would like to point out that I am self taught and not a college student. What I found to be a bit annoying was the over explaining on topics. There were many times I felt like the author needed to move on to the next topic. I assumed this book was not for beginners so I expected a quicker pace. There are sections written long ago that are not quite up to date with current knowledge. They do have a preface that tries to point out these inconsistencies but I'm not confident they covered all the outdated parts of the book. Just remember to keep this in mind when reading. Other than the few issues I pointed out above this book still has a lot of relevant information.

11 people found this helpful

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docclay

Worth it's weight, and boy is it heavy.

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2019

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I bought this book to try and brush up on some of the physics that it's been a while since I took, in order to defend my dissertation in theoretical physics later this spring. This book, in the hardback form will put a dent in your leg if you leave it there too long. I'm a physician, and I remember when I made the mistake of buying the single hard bound version of "Cecil's Textbook of Internal Medicine," and I had to lug that monster everyday all over the campus. I played college football, so it's not like I couldn't handle it, but it was a bit unwieldy. I would love to see a version of this that came in two softcover volumes, but, for me, it's not worth docking it a star over.
Otherwise this is a great, user friendly treatise on the subject. I could see reading this book just for the enjoyment of learning the subject better. It's much better than the textbook I used back when dinosaurs stomped on the Terra. Of course there were only 4 planets known at the time, so this book is definitely an upgrade. If you're looking for a way to understand the cosmos better, I've never seen a better book.
Later 'taters.
dc

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Wow, what a book

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2019

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I have many science and math books, quite a few of them 1000+ pages.
By far, this is the best of them. What an impressive book! Every single page gorgeous, well written, superlative in all ways. Then again, billions of dollars has gone into this topic, and this is *the* book for the topic.

It's a difficult subject, so likely the student time spent on the pages of this book is way up there.

Highly, highly recommended. The best book I have.

5 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Daniel

Be very careful with Kindle version

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2018

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Be very careful with kindle version.

Please be aware that the kindle version of this book can be read on very few devices/platforms.

I have tried:
- Kindle pc: says book is not compatible with Windows 8.
- Kindle cloud reader: Says cloud reader cannot open this book.
- An actual Kindle: book does not show up in library, option to deliver book to Kindle devices grayed out.
- Kindle app on an Android phone: CAN be read on this. Unsurprisingly trying to read a textbook on a phone is quite painful.

16 people found this helpful

PeterDz

Simply the best, one of a kind

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2018

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MTW is simply **THE** book to have if you are a student of GR. All three made (or continue to make) major contributions to the field. It is constantly updated. It is divided up in such a way that you can follow this as a course at various levels (you will need a background in maths and/or physics) and not necessarily in sequence. In fact this a book to dip into. MTW is extremely well laid out and clear. I know some people have read it end to end, but... It will probably benefit you most if you have worked your way through - or read - another book on the subject at a final year undergraduate level or first year post grad course on GR. That is not to say there are alternatives to MTW. There simply isn't anything of this breadth. The nearest one that comes to mind is Roger Penrose's "The Road to Reality"

7 people found this helpful

Buyer128910

Heavy book that makes understanding gravity a lightweight task

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2020

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Weighing about 6 pounds, the book is not a light one to be honest. Neither is the subject. But the authors have gone to a great extent to simplify the content for the reader. There are two tracks in the book and newcomers should skip the advanced track and continue with the basic one. The authors do not skip just to the physics but spend considerable portion of the book to build up the mathematical foundations. A lot of GR texts skip this and to be honest and a new reader is left to fend for herself on subtleties of differential geometry.

And then of course the book itself is a beautiful thing to own. I read it with white gloves. The cover has a matte finish and the paper is of very high quality. The typography is brilliant! It is such a pleasure to read this book.

4 people found this helpful

The only book you are likely to need on gravity

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2019

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In most subjects in Physics, there does not exist a guide as complete as this. For starters the book is completely huge. Thorne covers almost all modern understanding in gravity - straight from the mouth of a Noble laureate. Just be warned - it assumes a fairly reasonable undergraduate knowledge!

3 people found this helpful

AlanP

The definitive description of gravity and (ergo), the Universe

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2018

Verified Purchase

A most beautiful, comprehensive and get-those-teeth-into-of-a-book.

As a previous reviewer said, back in 1998:

"The world would be less beautiful if this book didn't exist."

This says more than I can!

As highly recomended as it is possible. 5.5 stars!

2 people found this helpful

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Gravitation

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