Rather than choosing one point of view of modern topology, the author concentrates on concrete problems in spaces with a few dimensions, introducing only as much algebraic machinery as necessary. This makes it possible to see a wider variety of important features in the subject than is common in introductory texts; it is also in line with the historical development of the subject. Aimed at students not necessarily intending to specialise in algebraic topology, the first part of the book emphasises relations with calculus and uses these ideas to prove the Jordan curve theorem, before going on to study fundamental groups and covering spaces so as to emphasise group actions. A final section gives a taste of the generalisation to higher dimensions.