There is no shortage of books on Commutative Algebra, but the present book
is different. Most books are monographs, with extensive coverage. There is one
notable exception: Atiyah and Macdonald’s 1969 classic. It is a clear, concise, and
efficient textbook, aimed at beginners, with a good selection of topics. So it has
remained popular. However, its age and flaws do show. So there is need for an
updated and improved version, which the present book aims to be.