Never before in its history has humanity been surrounded by such a vast number of things as it is today. The possessions of individuals in consumer society exceed any previously known measure. Thanks to innovative technologies, people have access to an ever-growing array of objects with previously unimaginable capabilities. Although media, advertising, and cultural studies tirelessly promote and interpret the order of things, their functions, and not least their role as status symbols, the world of objects increasingly appears as a challenge. In everyday interactions, things prove to be ever more complex; any understanding of their social roles is contradictory, and mastering them requires extraordinary efforts from both individuals and society. What do things do to people? Contributions from ethnology, philosophy, and science.