From the reviews: "The book under review is an introduction to representation theory in the semisimple case. ... Each chapter concludes with a fair number of exercises. ... the book has been written carefully. Also, it gives the impression that it has been written enthusiastically. ... the book is a welcome introduction for mathematics students or researchers looking for a first read in a fascinating subject." (Gabriel Navarro, Mathematical Reviews, October, 2013) "The purpose of this graduate text is to give a leisurely introduction to the representation theory of finite groups with an emphasis on semisimple algebras and modules over them. ... Each chapter ends with a number of exercises. ... The presentation of the material is friendly and inviting ... . The reviewer believes that the book can do a fine job as an invitation to study representations of finite groups by giving a glimpse into many different aspects of the field." (Thomas Michael Keller, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1254, 2013)