General Theory of Relativity Reprint Edition

Amazingly readable and accessible. General relativity in 69 pages! Terse, but easy to follow (for an advanced undergrad with a good background in vector calculus). Gorgeous mathematics with a number of unique approaches to classical results.An excellent starting point to GR, from which to launch into D’Inverno, Weinberg, MTW, Wald, Zee, or any other text.

The book is less than 100 pages, and it covers the most important parts of general relativity in the first 15 pages. It is concise without being superficial.The three basic general relativity concepts are the light cone, a 4-by-4 tensor which determines the light cone; the Christoffel Symbols, which determine the geodesics; and the Riemann Curvature tensor, which determines how matter affects space and time.Although the Christoffel Symbols can be derived algebraically with two assumptions ((1) the covariant derivative of the metric is zero, and (2) the covariant curl is equal to the ordinary curl), Dirac derives them directly using the Jacobian (tangent plane) to an embedding of space and time in a larger dimensional entity. This makes Dirac's approach very geometrical.The only large topic not covered is the precession of Mercury, which is explained well in the book by Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler in the chapter called the "Pit in the Potential".

Dirac develops general relativity from first principles, assuming a knowledge of tensor analysis and special relativity. Most will have to do some preliminary mathematical study to follow his exposition.

Yes, that's exactly the way i've entitled it. So, it should be used just as a quick reference guide to find some equation(s) you need when you already have studied and understood them. I mean, don't expect to understand GR from this small (nice)book. It is like a sumary of the whole theory as it was standing at the time Dirac wrote it. Therefore it does not contain solutions to Einstein equation but the Schwarzschild one. No Kerr-solution, no Finkelstein coordinates, no causal structure...But anyway, maybe we could say it is the most fast/first-level source you can take a look to find clear equations and clear 1-paragraph-explanations.For the price you can have it, I think it is a good purchase once you have passed through really teaching books like i.e.: Schutz, Weinberg, Wald, Hawking-Ellis...(in order of increasing mathematical hardness).Math notation friendly.No exercices.Just what i said, 2 pages per chapter.

Most precise book on GTR. But honestly speaking I would not not suggest this book if someone facing GTR for the first time. After all it is written by Dirac. But again it is written by Dirac, so you must expect the most concentrated dose of GTR (whole STR, GTR, blackholes and gravitational wave also within 60 pages!!!). I keep this book with me all the time as a reference, to quickly look at the formulation and it is quite helpful. A must have for who has been exposed to GTR.And regarding the product and shipping, it is a Princeton Pub. delivered by Amazon, I get exactly the thing I thought I will get within 4 days (it was an international shipping).

Without getting in details of more technical stuff, it serves as a first rate, condensed introduction. Explaining all required material from tensor analysis (without the need to introduce Riemann geometry), such as Christoffel symbols, geodesics, covariant derivatives, Ricci tensor, curvature e.t.c. Only prerequisites a good knowledge of advanced calculus and maybe a bit of matrix algebra. The notation should be pretty standard for the field. Only disadvantage is that it is dense (no examples, no exercises for the reader ...).

It's a classic by one of the founders of quantum mechanics, a nobelist whose equation lead to the discovery of the positron

It's a great little book, I am sure. If it is for undergraduates, however, they are a lot smarter than they were in my day.