"This book is intended to bridge the chasm between a first course in classical algebraic geometry and a technical treatise on schemes. It focuses on examples and strives to show "what's going on" behind the definitions. There are many exercises to test and extend the reader's understanding. The prerequisites are modest: a little commutative algebra and an acquaintance with algebraic varieties, roughly at the level of a one-semester course. The book aims to show schemes in relation to other geometric ideas, such as the theory of manifolds. Some familiarity with these ideas is helpful, though not required."--BOOK JACKET.