Prologue. The song of the universe --
Part I. A friendly contest between the four interactions --
Gravity is absurdly weak --
Detection of electromagnetic waves --
From water waves to gravity waves --
Part II. Spooky action at a distance --
Greatness and audacity : enter the field --
Einstein, the exterminator of relativity --
Einstein's idea : spacetime becomes curved --
How to detect something as ethereal as ripples in spacetime --
Part III. Getting the best possible deal --
Symmetry : physics must not depend on the physicist --
Yes, I want the best deal, but what is the deal? --
The action for Einstein gravity --
Part IV. From frozen star to black hole --
The quantum world and Hawking radiation --
Gravitons and the nature of gravity --
Mysterious messages from the dark side --
A new window to the cosmos --
Appendix. What does curved spacetime mean?