In this book, John Bowman provides an introduction to the Dewey Decimal Classification suitable either for beginners or for librarians who are out of practice using Dewey. He outlines the content and structure of the scheme and then, through worked examples using real titles, shows readers how to use it. Most chapters include practice exercises, to which answers are given at the end of the book. A particular feature of the book is the chapter dealing with problems of specific parts of the scheme. Later chapters offer advice on how to cope with compound subjects, and a brief introduction to the Web version of Dewey. Written in an engaging and direct style, this text is a companion volume both to the author's own bestselling Essential Cataloguing and to Vanda Broughton's Essential Classification. It is ideal for library students, and for public, school and solo librarians and classifiers who are just beginning to use Dewey and need some simple examples.