Probing the Earliest Phases of Low-mass Pre-protostellar Core 
and Protostar Formation

I will discuss observations and modeling of two objects:
Lynds 1498, a low density but chemically evolved Pre-protostellar core; 
and L1014-IRS, the low-mass low-luminosity object recently discovered by 
the Spitzer Space Telescope toward a previously classified starless core.  
Both objects present interesting challenges to our understanding of the 
earliest phases of isolated, low-mass star formation.