The field of muscle biophysics has changed dramatically over the past years and new studies are reshaping the way we think muscles contract. Rapidly evolving techniques and advances are allowing us to understand the mechanics of individual molecules and cells as we could never do so before. This book, a contributed volume of the work of several current opinion leaders and well-known scientists in the field, will be unique for its rich list of authors as well as its updated, comprehensive inclusion of techniques in both cell and molecular biophysiology.