This is a uniquely comprehensive and detailed treatment of the theoretical and observational foundations of modern cosmology, by a Nobel Laureate in Physics. It gives up-to-date and self contained accounts of the theories and observations that have made the past few decades a golden age of cosmology.

1. The Expansion of the Universe ; 2. The Cosmic Microwave Radiation Background ; 3. The Early Universe ; 4. Inflation ; 5. General Theory of Cosmological Fluctuations ; 6. Evolution of Cosmological Fluctuations ; 7. Anisotropies in the Microwave Sky ; 8. The Growth of Structure ; 9. Gravitational Lensing ; 10. Fluctuations from Inflation ; Appendices ; A. Some Useful Numbers ; B. Review of General Relativity ; C. Energy Transfer Between Radiation and Electrons ; D. The Ergodic Theorem ; E. Gaussian Distributions ; F. Newtonian Cosmology ; G. Photon Polarization ; H. The Relativistic Boltzmann Equation ; Notation ; Glossary of Symbols ; Assorted Problems

`A monumental book written by a leading authority in particle physics and cosmology. Since publication of Weinberg's famous book "Gravitation and Cosmology" 35 years ago, there has been a real revolution both in cosmological theory and observations. A major effort of a great expert has been required to summarize the main developments in one book, and to make this presentation both highly accurate and accessible. This book will be greatly appreciated by a broad readership, ranging from students who just enter the field to experts in modern cosmology. It should be on the desk of every actively working cosmologist.' Andrei Linde, Stanford University `Time is right for a survey of the physics of what has become a large and well-developed subject. Weinberg has done it, in an impressive fashion. He presents a full and careful assessment of the broad range of physics of modern cosmology, from the tools for measurements of the structure and evolution of the universe we see around us to the puzzles of dark matter and dark energy and the ideas about what the universe was like in the remote past, before it could have been described by the well-tested part of the theory. ' Jim Peebles, Princeton University `This book tackles the main events of today's cosmology: cosmic acceleration observed with supernovae, the exquisite structure of the cosmic microwave background, and the evidence for dark matter. Weinberg pays close attention to the historical development and summarizes the observations with care. He brings deep knowledge of the underlying physics and weaves these threads together into a rich text that will be of great value to astronomers and physicists. The first half of this book is a wonderful introduction to cosmology, suitable for a graduate course or for someone coming into the field from a neighboring region of the scientific forest. The second half is an original development of the theory for the growth of inhomogeneities in the Universe. Everyone who works on cosmology will find something to learn in this book. ' Robert P. Kirshner, Harvard University

Provides uniquely self-contained and detailed accounts of the ideas and formulas that are used and tested in modern cosmological research. Covers many topics that are not treated (or treated only superficially) in other books. Entirely up-to-date. Copious references to articles in the current research literature. The author is a well-known participant in cosmological research, as well as in elementary particle physics, whose previous books on general relativity and the quantum theory of fields have been well received.

Professor Steven Weinberg Jack S. Josey-Welch Foundation Chair in Science and Regental Professor and Director, Theory Research Group Department of Physics University of Texas at Austin Nobel Prize in Physics, 1979 National Medal of Science, 1991 Benjamin Franklin Prize, American Philosophical Society, 2004 Member, U. S. National Academy of Sciences Foreign Member, Royal Society of London Honorary Member, Royal Irish Academy Member, American Philosophical Society Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences J. Robert Oppenheimer Prize, 1973 Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics, 1977 Earned degrees A.B., Cornell University, 1954 Ph.D., Princeton University, 1957 Honorary degrees Harvard University, A.M., 1973 Knox College, D.Sc., 1978 University of Chicago, Sc.D., 1978 University of Rochester, Sc.D., l979 Yale University, Sc.D., 1979 City University of New York,Sc.D., 1980 Clark University, Sc.D., 1982 Dartmouth College, Sc.D., 1984 Weizmann Institute, Ph.D. Hon.Caus., 1985 Washington College, D.Litt., 1985 Columbia University, Sc.D., 1990 University of Salamanca, Sc.D., 1992 University of Padua, Ph.D. Hon.Caus., 1992 University of Barcelona, Sc.D., 1996 Bates College, Sc. D., 2002 McGill University, Sc. D., 2003 University of Waterloo, Sc. D., 2004

Provides uniquely self-contained and detailed accounts of the ideas and formulas that are used and tested in modern cosmological research. Covers many topics that are not treated (or treated only superficially) in other books. Entirely up-to-date. Copious references to articles in the current research literature. The author is a well-known participant in cosmological research, as well as in elementary particle physics, whose previous books on general relativity and the quantum theory of fields have been well received.