General Relativity for the Gifted Amateur

General relativity for the Gifted Amateur is one of the most outstanding introductory texts on general relativity I have seen. 

This text is not only comprehensive in its discussion of topics; covering many advanced subjects in gravity that otherwise are not covered in an introductory course (such as frames and differential forms), but is also extremely accessible. 

Never have I seen a book on the subject take such care to illustrate meaningful examples to the reader in a way which is easy to follow and intuitive. Notably, I was extremely impressed with the examples used in the differential forms section of the book, which describe how to purposely do calculations from first principles.

Furthermore, this text is chockablocked with figures, diagrams and illustrations through out. A notable feature of these images is that the meaning behind them is actually explained either within the attached  caption or in the main body. This is a feature that is often missing in other books on general relativity. 

Accompanying the main chapters of the book, are appendices which expand upon the mathematical details described in the main text. These are nice self contained introductions of each auxiliary topic, providing an excellent starting point for further, more involved studies into general relativity and differential geometry.

In addition, there are numerous solutions to select exercises at the end of the book, which fully supports the reader's learning and allows for independent study. 

I fully recommend this text to any student who is about to embark on a course in general relativity. Not only does this book cover the basics well, it gives clear and accessible introduction to advanced topics that will be covered in later courses. 

For the gifted amateur, this book will provide a solid self-paced exploration into the subject for those who have at least covered the necessary mathematical prerequisites (linear algebra, calculus and differential equations). 


General Relativity for the Gifted Amateur
by Tom Lancaster and Stephen Blundell
ISBN: 9780192867414

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