A physicist's perspective on the building blocks of the living world. Topics may vary but will include: levels of structural complexity in biomolecules, molecular thermodynamics, molecular forces, the stability of biological structures, and the interaction of radiation with molecules. A rigorous treatment of commonly used biophysical techniques, such as calorimetry, optical spectroscopy, light/X-ray/neutron scattering, and single-molecule methods, will be accompanied by research applications.