A handbook for living and working in the laboratory. It discusses: how research groups work on a human level - and how to fit in; what equipment is essential, and how to use it properly; how to get started and get organized; how to set up an experiment; how to handle and use data and reference sources; and how to present yourself and your results - in print and in person. It offers advice, moral support, social etiquette, and professional assurance, along with step-by-step instructions for those basic laboratory procedures that experienced investigators know - but novices do not.