The book provides a concise introduction to both classical and more modern methods of the theory of automorphic forms, presenting the adelic and representation-theoretic perspectives at a very accessible level. By focusing on the essentials of the theory and limiting the discussion to the base field Q, the reader is quickly guided to the key goals and results. For mathematics students interested in number theory and related fields such as algebraic or arithmetic geometry, the book offers an optimal entry point into the subject.