Gravity is not a force acting at a distance. It is mass gripping spacetime, telling it how to curve, and spacetime gripping mass, telling it how to move. According to preeminent physicist John Archibald Wheeler, gravity makes the closest connection between the world we see around us and the inner-most workings of the universe. In this imaginative volume, Wheeler explores gravity and spacetime by applying Einstein's battle-tested theory to both familiar and exotic phomomena--everything from flying tennis balls, to hurling gravity waves from crashing stars, the motion of the planets, and the collapse of a star into a black hole. It's a provocative, revealing, fully engaging scientific journey led by a frontline participant in the most important work in physics in the last 50 years.

The autobiography of one of the foremost physicists decribes his career in science, and chronicles the great scientific discoveries of the twentieth century.

An unforgettable journey through the mind and memory of one of the century's great physicists, At Home in the Universe will delight, educate, and inspire.

"The metric helps to answer every scientific question about (nonquantum) features of spacetime surrounding a black hole, every possible question about trajectories of light and satellites around the black hole as well as around more familiar centers of attraction such as Earth and Sun. The metric for a rotating black hole may tell us about quasars, the most powerful steady energy sources in the Universe. The black-hole metric brings preliminary insights about the history and structure of the Cosmos." "Using the metric requires only algebra, elementary differential calculus, and a handful of integrals. This modest mathematics opens the subject to the interested person and paves the way to a deeper study of general relativity for one who will discover new truth about this strange and beautiful Universe, our home."--BOOK JACKET.

This book is on Einsteinś theory of general relativity, or geometrodynamic. It may be used as an introduction to general relativity, as an introduction to the foundations and tests of gravitation and geometrodynamics, or as a monograph on the meaning and origin of inertia in Eistein theory

Looks at the history of gravitational theories, discusses tides, planetary orbits, space-time, gravity waves, and black holes, and summarizes our current understanding of gravity

First published in 1973, Gravitation is a landmark graduate-level textbook that presents Einstein’s general theory of relativity and offers a rigorous, full-year course on the physics of gravitation. Upon publication, Science called it “a pedagogic masterpiece,” and it has since become a classic, considered essential reading for every serious student and researcher in the field of relativity. This authoritative text has shaped the research of generations of physicists and astronomers, and the book continues to influence the way experts think about the subject. With an emphasis on geometric interpretation, this masterful and comprehensive book introduces the theory of relativity; describes physical applications, from stars to black holes and gravitational waves; and portrays the field’s frontiers. The book also offers a unique, alternating, two-track pathway through the subject. Material focusing on basic physical ideas is designated as Track 1 and formulates an appropriate one-semester graduate-level course. The remaining Track 2 material provides a wealth of advanced topics instructors can draw on for a two-semester course, with Track 1 sections serving as prerequisites. This must-have reference for students and scholars of relativity includes a new preface by David Kaiser, reflecting on the history of the book’s publication and reception, and a new introduction by Charles Misner and Kip Thorne, discussing exciting developments in the field since the book’s original publication. The book teaches students to: Grasp the laws of physics in flat and curved spacetime Predict orders of magnitude Calculate using the principal tools of modern geometry Understand Einstein's geometric framework for physics Explore applications, including neutron stars, Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes, gravitational collapse, gravitational waves, cosmology, and so much more