This is no ordinary textbook. With its revamped design, highly visual features, and concise coverage, the second edition of Essential Communication is a practical, interactive guide, with exercises and self-quizzes to help students reflect on their own communication patterns and improve their skills. Focused on the fundamentals, every element of this text helps students become better communicators online, in person, at home, and at work.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

• Expanded content on diversity covers a range of topics, including intersectionality, gender, generational differences, and cultural norms
• Chapters 10 and 11 have been refocused on professional communication, from the interview process to communicating within the workplace
• Updated and expanded coverage of social media encourages students to consider how to present themselves online, protect their privacy, and evaluate the information and news they encounter
• Brief and engaging 'Ask Yourself' self-quizzes offer students opportunities to evaluate their own communication styles and practices
• Lists of useful 'Tips & Reminders' provide students with practical guidance in relation to the key concepts in each chapter
• Open-ended prompts in 'Pause to Reflect' features help students relate chapter material to their own lives
• Each chapter concludes with 'Communication Take-Aways' that highlight the key points from the chapter and 'Putting It All Together' sections that ask students to use the information they have learned to think critically about the topics and apply the strategies to their own communication
• New, contemporary examples and sample speeches include Emma González's 'We Call BS' speech from the landmark 'March for Our Lives' rally.

1. Communication What and Why
2. The Self, Perception, and Communication
3. Communication and Culture
4. Language
5. Listening
6. Nonverbal Communication
7. Communicating in Interpersonal Relationships
8. Communicating with Friends and Family
9. Communicating with Romantic Partners
10. Communicating to Land a Job
11. Communicating in the Workplace
12. Preparing Speeches
13. Presenting Speeches
14. Speaking to Inform and Persuade

Ronald B. Adler – Professor Emeritus of Communication, Santa Barbara City College

George Rodman – Professor of Television and Radio, Brooklyn College

Athena du Pré – Professor of Communication and Director of the Strategic Communication & Leadership master's degree program, University of West Florida

''Essential Communication offers a thorough, organized, and clear presentation of the foundations of communication in a way that is practically useful for introductory courses.''--Jenna Abetz, College of Charleston

''Intelligent, an easy read, and focused on the current way we communicate. It will resonate with the 21st century student.''--Archie Wortham, Northeast Lakeview College

''Like the title states, this is the essential communication of our time, and the text is chock-full of contemporary, relevant examples and illustrations of the theories we ask our students to come to and understand.''--Susan Carol Stinson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

''This text discusses the prominent theories across various contexts, highlighting the relational aspect of communication. Learning objectives are both clear and reiterated, helping students focus and ground their learning in key aspects of their lives.''--Cheryl Casey, Champlain College