Preface.A. Ashkin, Forces of a Single-Beam Gradient Laser Trap on a Dielectric Sphere in the Ray Optics Regime.R. E. Sterba and M.P. Sheetz, Basic Laser Tweezers.S.C. Kuo, A Simple Assay for Local Heating by Optical Tweezers.A.D. Mehta, J.T. Finer, and J. Spudich, Reflections of a Lucid Dreamer: Optical Trap Design Considerations.M.W. Berns, Y. Tadir, H. Liang, and B. Tromberg Laser Scissors and Tweezers.A.L. Stout and W.W. Webb, Optical Force Microscopy. Y. Harada, T. Funatsu, M. Tokunaga, K. Saito, H. Higuchi, Y. Ishii, and T. Yanagida, Single Molecule Imaging and Nanomanipulation of Biomolecules. F. Gittes and C.F. Schmidt, Signals and Noise in Micromechanical Measurements.J. Dai and M.P. Sheetz, Cell Membrane Mechanics.A. Kusumi, Y. Sako, T. Fujiwara, and M. Tomishige, Application of Laser Tweezers to Studies of the Fences and Tethers of the Membrane Skeleton that Regulate the Movements of Plasma Membrane Proteins.H. Felgner, F. Grolig, O. Müller, and M. Schliwa, In Vivo Manipulation of Internal Cell Organelles.J.E. Molloy, Optical Chopsticks: Digital Synthesis of Multiple Optical Traps.Index.