The field of organometallic chemistry has seen explosive growth over the last forty years. On a fundamental level, new structural and bonding concepts have been discovered, while applications range from catalysis to new synthetic methods. This succinct text outlines the main classes of transition metal organometallic complexes and introduces the reader to the chemistry of compounds with metal-carbon bonds: metal carbonyls, metal alkyls, and metal alkylidenes and alkylidynes. The synthetic methods leading to each class of compounds are illustrated with pertinent examples, followed by the discussion of characteristic structures and reactivity patterns. The book stresses general principles and relates the material to specific applications such as catalytic processes. This book is ideal for supplying a quick overview of the discipline to students of chemistry.