When starting to teach university courses in Body Culture, I proposed Chris Shilling’s The Body & Social Theory (1993) as basic literature. The book’s intention was interesting, indeed. However, the book produced a lot of misunderstanding both for my students and for myself. Why was that? A closer examination of the third edition (2012) reveals some serious analytical and terminological problems. As these problems are not particular of Shilling’s approach, but can be found in a wide range of sociological studies, they deserve a deeper analysis and a critical discussion. Are humanist studies allowed naively to talk about “the biological body”, “individuals”, “factors” or “us in modern society”? This is more than a linguistic question – it is not least a question of philosophy. Kate Cregan’s Key Concepts in Body & Society (2012) follows the same track as Shilling, but presents a more practical application for students. Her book illustrates especially the problem of “defining” phenomena of human life. Can we really define – describe by strict limits – what is historically changing and socially diverse?