Finding a Good Book on String Theory: A Comprehensive Guide

[ziad1985]

To make it short, any recommandation for a good book on string theory?
Something with a good introduction and cover a good part of what one should know at the beginning ?

 

[George Jones]

For physics students?

A First Course in String Theory by Barton Zwiebach,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521880327/?tag=pfamazon01-20,

is an excellent introduction to string theory for physics students. From its preface: "A First Course in String Theory should be accessible to anyone who has been exposed to special relativity, basic quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, and introductory statistical physics. Some familiarity with Lagrangian mechanics is useful but nit indispensable ."

Take a look at the table of contents (using LOOK INSIDE!) and read some of the reviews.

 

[nicksauce]

I'll second Zwiebach.

 

[ziad1985]

ah yes, for physics students.
It looks good from what I've seen, I have a good and deep knowledge on all these requirements so i suppose i won't have a problem going through his.
Thank you

 

[George Jones]

ah yes, for physics students.
It looks good from what I've seen, I have a good and deep knowledge on all these requirements so i suppose i won't have a problem going through his.
Thank you

Zwiebach is fun to read.

Another, much more advanced introduction, is String Theory and M-Theory: A Modern Introduction by Katrin Becker, Melanie Becker, and John H. Schwarz,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521860695/?tag=pfamazon01-20.

From its preface: "The reader is assumed to have some familiarity with quantum field theory and general relativity. It is also very useful to a have broad mathematical background. Group theory is essential, and some knowledge of differential geometry and basic concepts of topology is very desirable."

 

[ziad1985]

Ah that's more like it, even though I'm not quiet that familiar with General Relativity, QFT and group theory are both stuff very easy for me to deal with.
I have to start a training course (I suppose this is the english equivalent of the french word "stage"), and it's going to be mainly in theoretical physics(mostly in the particle field), as the stepping ground to my thesis and stuff works differently here in france then in the US i suppose, buttom line i have to get myself familiar with some basic theoretical stuff in this period and String theory have to be one of them.