This book provides an introduction to a topic of central interest in transcendental algebraic geometry: the Hodge conjecture. Consisting of 15 lectures plus addenda and appendices, the volume is based on a series of lectures delivered by Professor Lewis at the Centre de Recherches Mathematiques (CRM). The book is a self-contained presentation, completely devoted to the Hodge conjecture and related topics. It includes many examples, and most results are completely proven or sketched. The motivation behind many of the results and background material is provided. This comprehensive approach to the book gives it a ``user-friendly'' style. Readers need not search elsewhere for various results. The book is suitable for use as a text for a topics course in algebraic geometry; includes an appendix by B. Brent Gordon.