Hartmut Böhme's study of fetishism spans all the way from Christian image magic in the Middle Ages to fetishistic practices in fashion, advertising, sport and popular culture today. In it he provides a thorough exploration of religion, magic, idolatry, sexuality and consumption, charting the mental, scientific and artistic processes through which fetishism became a central category in European culture's account of itself.

Hartmut Böhme, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.