Gravity (BOOK)

The book describes many aspects of differential geometry and general theory of relativity, and also considers some alternative theories of gravity and their experimental verification. The manual is divided into two courses, the second of which includes more complex topics that serve to expand the semester course of the general theory of relativity to an annual one. MTW uses the metric signature - +++ . A substantial part of the book consists of additions to the main text ^[1] .

At the time of writing the textbook, its authors were one of the most famous experts in the theory of relativity; they own many of the results presented in the book ^{[1] [2]} . Introduced by the authors of the division into two courses, sometimes interspersed within one chapter, organically included in the text of the exercise, specially selected additions and marginal notes - marginalia - was a bold experiment in the nonlinearity of presentation and design of textbooks, which caused significant difficulties in typing the book ^[1] . The authors' style was also unusual: in contrast to the accepted dry " academic style ", some parts were written very informally, even poetically, which caused both enthusiastic and critical reviews from reviewers.

David Park wrote:

Imagine that three very inventive people came together to invent a scientific book. Not just write it, but invent a tone, style, presentation methods [material], format.

Original text

Imagine that three highly inventive people get together to invent a scientific book. Not just to write it, but invent the tone, the style, the methods of exposition, the format.

- David Park, “Ups and Downs of 'Gravitation,'” Washington Post, 21 Apr. 1974, p. 4, cited from ^[1]

however, Subramanyan Chandrasekar noted:

The book leaves one main impression. “It is written with the fervor of a missionary preaching the cannibals” (as JI Littlewood said of another book). But I (probably for historical reasons) have always been allergic to missionaries.

Original text

There is one overriding impression this book leaves. 'It is written with the zeal of a missionary preaching to cannibals' (as JE Littlewood, in referring to another book, has said). But I (probably for historical reasons) have always been allergic to missionaries.

- S. Chandrasekhar , “A Vast Treatise on General Relativity,” Phys. Today, Aug. 1974, pp. 47–48, cited from ^[1]

Because of this, the publisher at first viewed the book as a monograph rather than a textbook, and intended to publish it only in a hardcover for libraries. However, the authors also insisted on a cheaper paperback edition available to students, agreeing to reduce their deductions from this publication ^[1] . As a result of this experiment, the book not only received reviews in the specialized scientific press, but also received a full-page review in The Washington Post , in which it was approved for non-linearity, which reminded the reviewer of the avant-garde cinema of the French new wave . According to many reviewers, “Gravity” is interesting not only for physics students, but just for people interested in science ^[1] .

The size and weight of the volume, which significantly differed from the parameters of the then accepted textbooks, gave rise to a large number of jokes, for example, that “Gravity” is not only a valuable reference on gravity, but also its significant source ^[1] . A number of nicknames arose: The Big Black Book, The Phone Book ^[1] , The Bible ( The Bible ) ^[3] .

Over the first 10 years of sales in the United States, the book sold over 50,000 copies, and by 2007 more than 500 copies were sold each year ^[4] , which gave the science historian Kaiser reason to regard it as a book that erased the boundaries between a monograph, a textbook, and a popular bestseller ^{[1 ]} . The abbreviation MTW on the initials of the authors has become common in the literature on general relativity for references to this textbook ^{[1] [3]} .

By 2019, the paperback book is still being edited by the publishing house and recommended as a textbook in many reviews of educational literature on the general theory of relativity ^{[3] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]} , and it is often called the classic ^{[ 3] [5] [6] [8]} , although it is noted that it is too complicated for the introductory course, rather this textbook should be considered an extended and in-depth manual for students and graduate students who are seriously engaged in the general theory of relativity ^{[3] [5] [ 6] [7]} . It is also somewhat outdated and does not contain new results ^{[6] [7]} , but it must be read by anyone who is seriously engaged in the general theory of relativity ^{[5] [7]} .

Russian (1977, reprint of 1993) and Chinese (1997) translations of Gravity were published. Due to the fact that the Chinese translation was mainly made by Li Shuxian, wife of the famous Chinese dissident Fan Lichzhi and the owner of for 1991 ^[10] , the publishers of the PRC refused to publish it and the book was published in Taiwan ^{[ 11]} .

• Large-scale space-time structure

• Kaiser D. A Tale of Two Textbooks: Experiments in Genre // Isis . - 2012 .-- March (vol. 103, no. 1 ). - P. 126-138. - DOI : 10.1086 / 664983 . Archived August 15, 2015.
• Braginsky V. B., Novikov I. D. Ch. Mizner, C. Thorne and J. Wheeler. Gravity // Astronomical Journal . - 1975. - March-April ( t. 52 ). - S. 447-449 . - .

Available on the Internet English translation:

Braginskii VB , Novikov ID C. Misner, K. Thorne, and J. Wheeler: Gravitation (Eng.) // Sov. Astron. - 1975 .-- Vol. 19, no. 2 . - P. 273-274. - .

• Gravitation in the catalog on the publisher’s website