This book presents four lectures on Rees rings and blow-ups, Koszul modules with applications to syzygies, Groebner bases and degenerations, and applications of Adams operations. Commutative Algebra has witnessed a number of spectacular developments in recent years, including the resolution of long-standing problems; the new techniques and perspectives are leading to an extraordinary transformation in the field. The material contained in this volume, based on lectures given at a workshop held in Levico Terme, Trento, in July 2019, highlights some of these developments. The text will be a valuable asset to graduate students and researchers in commutative algebra and related fields.