The resurgence of microscopy in recent years is certainly not news to readers of this journal. But, for many of us, this resurgence has placed additional strains on our already busy lives to keep current on new technologies and techniques. Fortunately, books such as “Imaging Neurons. A Laboratory Manual” (Edited by Rafael Yuste, Frederick Lanni and Arthur Konnerth) provide comprehensive and timely reviews to help us keep abreast of the field.

The book evolved from a summer course taught by the editors and many of the contributors at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and although it obviously targets neurobiologists, many of the techniques are applicable to other biological systems. An impressive feature of the manual is the breadth and detail of topics covered.