Molecular electronics is an emerging field that aims at controlling physical systems on the level of individual molecules. While initial applications are thought to be in digital memory and logic, potential benefits include manipulation of light on the sub-wavelength level. In this presentation, I will describe the basic ideas and current status of the field. The recent demonstrations of the single-molecule conduction, rectification, amplification, and switching, will be briefly reviewed. I will specifically address the problems of conformational switching and the resistance of a metal – self-assembled molecular film interface. A class of recently designed bistable stator-rotor molecules, whose shape can be changed by external electric field, will be described. Also, the resistance of the metal – molecular monolayer contact will be shown to be strongly dependent on the orientation of the molecules' main axis relative to the metal surface. The sensitivity originates from the angular anisotropy of the conductive molecular orbitals that are usually built from very directional atomic wave functions. This effect should be taken into account in designing low resistance interfaces.