Book excerpt: This text guides you through the principles and practical techniques of confocal and multiphoton microscopy. It also describes the historical connections and parallel inventions that resulted in modern techniques of live cell imaging and their use in biology and medicine. You will find comparisons of different types of confocal and multiphoton microscopes, solutions to the problems one would encounter when using various microscopic techniques, tips on selecting equipment, and an extensive annotated bibliography of additional resources.