Schutz vs. Hartle: Which Book Offers Better Explanations and Diagrams?

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SUMMARY

The discussion compares the books "Schutz" and "Hartle" in terms of explanations and diagrams for understanding general relativity. Users find Schutz's book to be overly simplistic, lacking detailed explanations and containing poor-quality diagrams. In contrast, Hartle's book offers more examples and better diagrams, although it does not reach the quality of those found in "Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler" (MTW). While Schutz's structure is considered superior, Hartle's examples significantly enhance comprehension.

PREREQUISITES
  • Familiarity with general relativity concepts
  • Understanding of academic textbook structures
  • Basic knowledge of diagram interpretation in physics
  • Experience with problem-solving in physics contexts
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  • Review "Hartle's General Relativity" for comprehensive examples
  • Analyze diagrams from "Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler" for comparison
  • Explore additional resources on general relativity pedagogy
  • Investigate user reviews of Schutz's and Hartle's books for deeper insights
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Students and educators in physics, particularly those studying general relativity, as well as anyone seeking to choose between Schutz and Hartle for their learning materials.

GarageDweller
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I'm finding the schutzs book very bare bones. He barely explains anything and basically runs over most topics with one liners. Is this how it is in the hurtle book?
And also, are the diagrams better in that one? The diagrams in schutzs are atrocious
 
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Hartle has a lot more examples within the chapters themselves but the chapter problems are pretty much the same as those in Schutz. The chronology / structure of Schutz's book I find is better than Hartle's but the fact that Hartle provides a good number of examples is a big plus. The diagrams are good but they aren't like the ones in MTW or anything.
 

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