An introduction to exotic 4-manifolds

This article intends to provide an introduction to the construction of small exotic 4-manifolds. Some of the necessary background is covered. An exposition is given of J. Park's construction in arXiv:math.GT/0311395 of an exotic CP^2#7(-CP^2). This article does not intend to present any new results. It was originally a Master's thesis, and its aim is merely to provide a leisurely introduction to exotic 4-manifolds that might be of use to interested graduate students.