Book excerpt: In the biomedical sciences, the confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) has become the instrument of choice for producing high-resolution images and 3D reconstruction, breaking the barriers of conventional optical microscopy. Wouterlood (anatomy, VU U. Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) introduces the confocal principle which eliminates out-of-focus haze, its components, and relevant equations. International scientists explain the principles and related methods of stimulated emission depletion (SRED), single molecule localization, and coherent anti-Stokes Raman (CARS) microscopy; labeling approaches; preparation of samples for imaging; and applications of, and developments in, this new wave of imaging, e.g., visualization of neuronal networks, DNA, and myelin. The text includes color and b&w images, and referral to an online CLSM simulator. Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).