Spacetime and Geometry:
Opinions

Carroll's text adds a new option to the list of solid general relativity texts appropriate for graduate students planning to do research in gravity, high-energy theory, or both. ... Of course, every teacher has a different opinion about the amount of foundational mathematics to include in a general relativity class that has to fit into one semester. Carroll has successfully steered a middle course, and I believe his text will be very useful to students. ... Both books are fine contributions that extend in useful and different ways the range of pedagogical choices available to instructors.

My favourite part of the book is the first three chapters on differential geometry. The presentation of the mathematical formalism is crystal clear and very enjoyable, and it comes with a large number of helpful (and attractive) diagrams... The ninth and final chapter of Carroll's book is devoted to a topic that has never been covered in an introductory text: quantum field theory in curved spacetime. To include this was a truly inspired thought, and Carroll is to be congratulated for this initiative... A complete education in general relativity cannot exclude this important subject, and now we have a textbook that presents it in a clear, accessible way.

Sean Carroll won the Graduate Student Council Teaching Award for the general relativity course that he taught at MIT, and the course has remained legendary among our graduate students. This book can be expected to spread the legend worldwide. Starting at the very beginning, Carroll gives a clear, well-motivated, and intellectually lively development of general relativity, extending into cosmology and even the basics of quantum field theory in curved spacetime. The book is a gem.

-- Alan Guth, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sean Carroll brings a relaxed authority to the teaching of general relativity at the graduate level. The text is beautifully written and succeeds in linking modern mathematical formalism to physical applications. ``Spacetime and Geometry'' continues the tradition of excellent relativity books and is likely to establish a common culture for the next generation of relativists.

-- Roger Blandford, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology

This is an excellent, up to date, graduate text in general relativity, written in an informal yet sophisticated style. It provides an efficient introduction to the gravitational physics essential for today's understanding of black holes, gravitational waves, and the universe.

-- James Hartle, University of California, Santa Barbara

This is the best book on contemporary gravitational physics for everyone from beginning graduate students to established researchers. Anyone interested in modern high-energy physics needs to understand cosmology and black holes, and this is the book they should read. It will be the leading textbook on gravity for years to come.

-- Renata Kallosh, Stanford University

"Spacetime and Geometry" is well-presented, very accessible and right up-to-date. It provides a comprehensive treatment that invites rather than discourages new students of the subject.

-- Bernard Schutz, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics

A seamless combination of mathematical sophistication and intuitive physical reasoning.

-- Arthur Kosowsky, Rutgers University

A very clear, crisp, and self-contained introduction to general relativity in the modern language of differential geometry that's a pleasure to read. Most remarkably, the author presents the most intricate subjects with characteristic clarity, but without compromising their integrity. If you have any doubts read and compare Carroll against any other text in the market.

-- Ben Grinstein, University of California, San Diego