The book describes in an accessible form a variety of properties of variable stars, including unique objects discovered in recent years. This is the first five chapters of the book. The sixth chapter contains a detailed description of visual and photographic methods of observation and methods of their processing. The necessary auxiliary information is also given: lists of bright variable stars and comparison stars, maps of the neighborhood of variable stars and tables necessary for the processing of observations. The book is intended for astronomy lovers, teachers, students of astronomical specialties of universities and pedagogical institutes . Can serve as a manual for practical work and for classes of astronomical circles .