Introduction 1. Background: Posets, simplicial complexes, and topology 2. Examples: Subgroup complexes as geometries for simple groups 3. Contractibility 4. Homotopy equivalence 5. The reduced Euler characteristic ${\tilde {\chi }}$ and variations on vanishing 6. The reduced Lefschetz module ${\tilde {L}}$ and projectivity 7. Group cohomology and decompositions 8. Spheres in homology and Quillen's Conjecture 9. Connectivity, simple connectivity, and sphericality 10. Local-coefficient homology and representation theory 11. Orbit complexes and Alperin's Conjecture