# General Relativity Books

1. Feb 7, 2009

### Charlie G

I'm really interested in understanding general relativity and its consequencies right now and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good general relativity book for me. I'm not looking for a professional physicists book on the topic, but a book that explains the principles very well, with diagrams and moderate mathematics.

So if anyone knows of any good ones please tell me its name.

Thx.

2. Feb 7, 2009

### MathematicalPhysicist

Misner Thorne and Wheeler- Gravitation.

You should get a morgage to buy this book. (-:

3. Feb 7, 2009

### cristo

Staff Emeritus
Er.. I doubt MTW is suitable. I would not advise MTW as a first text in GR, even if the reader had a solid background. See here for a list of GR textbooks, on various levels. http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Administrivia/rel_booklist.html

4. Feb 7, 2009

### JasonJo

I would recommend as a first text Sean Carroll's book. There is a free pdf version on his website or you could buy the textbook (I think it is a great intro GR book). The pdf version is not the version that is for sale of course. He expanded his free pdf notes into his textbook.

After you have become comfortable with Carroll, then you should tackle Wald and Hawking, Ellis, I consider these texts on similarly levels in terms of mathematical rigor. Both are considered grad GR books. Hawking Ellis is the source for mathematical black holes. Wald is quite good as well, but it leaves some proofs to Hawking Ellis or references some of Penrose's original proofs.

5. Feb 7, 2009

### MathematicalPhysicist

Eventually if he trully wants to understand gravitation he ought to learn from this book, sooner or later, expert or not.

6. Feb 7, 2009

### cristo

Staff Emeritus
Let me get this right, as a second textbook on GR, to a student who is asking for a text "that explains the principles very well, with diagrams and moderate mathematics," you are recommending Hawking & Ellis? That's just ridiculous!!

To the OP: since some other members appear to be wanting to throw you into the deep end of a swimming pool with lead weights tied to your feet, I would recommend you take a look at the link I give above, especially this section. d'Inverno's book is a good intro to GR. However, do you have prerequisite knowledge of special relativity? If not, you should definitely learn that first!

7. Feb 7, 2009

### MathematicalPhysicist

Cristo, this isn't what I meant to do.
There's a book I read in my infancy by Leopold Infeld and Albert Einstein which is semi popular, I am not sure what's the name of the book in english cause I read it in hebrew and the name perhaps differ from the english version.
perhaps it's a good start to read popular books straight from the horse's mouth.

8. Feb 7, 2009

### robphy

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9. Feb 7, 2009

### Charlie G

Thx for all the replies everyone, I'll begin looking into those books soon.

10. Feb 7, 2009

### Jaunty

As far as understanding the implications of GR and getting some intuition for what's going on, I don't think there's a better book than Exploring Black Holes by Taylor & Wheeler. It's written using high school mathematics for the most part (basic algebra and a tiny but of calculus) and provides excellent explanations of a lot of the cool things in GR (Mercury's precession, GPS satellite time correction, what it will look like if you fall into a black hole, Einstein Rings, etc.)

11. Feb 8, 2009

### JasonJo

For a book with really good figures that is very well written and very extensive in terms of GR topics but with almost no math (2/3 qualifications) try Black Holes and Time Warps by Kip Thorne

12. Feb 10, 2009

### Daverz

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13. Feb 12, 2009

### robphy

www.eftaylor.com/download.html#special_relativity has links to "Chapter One" (the text, the exercises, and the solutions) of the classic Spacetime Physics.

Last edited by a moderator: May 4, 2017
14. Feb 17, 2009

### Charlie G

Well, I've looked up most of the books you guys have recomended and, no offense, but it wasn't what I was really looking for. Most of the books had to be purchased, most for a price above $75. I am only in the ninth grade, too young to drive and to get a job. I should have mentioned that in the original post. Sadly, my parents wouldn't let me buy a book above$50.

Those books seemed that they might be somewhat high level as well, like I said I'm only a ninth grader so my mathematical skills at the moment only extend to algebra one lol.

What I'm really looking for is a book that can give me a good understanding of general relativity, a good enough one that I can feel confident in explaining its principles to a few of my friends who I enjoy lecturing on science with, and that I can could get a hold of at my local library.

Thank you

15. Feb 17, 2009

### robphy

In retrospect, we could have been more helpful if you had better described your constraints.

I would recommend