Direct sales and multi-level marketing companies have received little scientific attention in Germany so far. This is surprising, not only because they are gaining importance despite a controversial reputation, but also because they are unusual organizations: Their sales representatives are legally independent, which means that central features of classic organizations, such as a hierarchical structure with the corresponding authority of managers or an employment contract that significantly regulates the relationship between employees and employers, are absent. The present study by Claudia Gross is thus a pioneering work for several reasons: it scientifically examines the organizational form of direct sales in Germany for the first time. Her work highlights the various forms of direct sales that exist, what data is available on this organizational form, what distinguishes these companies from bureaucratic organizations, and also what criticism is directed at (some) companies in this sector. In addition to these fundamentals of direct sales in Germany, the analysis provides a compelling and impressive answer to the largely unexplored question of how organizations without hierarchy and authority can motivate and manage legally independent business members. For this analysis, Claudia Gross draws on central concepts of organizational control and uses them in an extremely successful manner to illustrate the internal structure of direct sales organizations. With her analysis, Claudia Gross not only makes a significant contribution to the state of research but also goes beyond the previous international state of research in direct sales.