Essentials of Human Communication (6th Edition) - Softcover

“Essentials of Human Communication is absolutely the right text for all basic Speech Communication courses.”

                                                                                                            — Dr. Nader H. Chaaban, Montgomery College (MD)

Essentials of Human Communication presents the fundamental skills of interpersonal, small group, and public communication, emphasizing the areas of human communication skills, cultural awareness, listening, critical thinking, ethics, power and empowerment, media literacy, and computer-mediated communication. This top-selling book fills the need for a brief, interesting, but serious book that places a strong focus on skill development. In-text features and the text itself highlight the application of human communication skills to the real world and to the workplace.

New to This Edition

·  MyCommunicationLab: Where effective communication begins!  An interactive and

   instructive online solution, MyCommunicationLab is designed to be used to supplement

   to a traditional lecture course, or completely administer an online course. Students

   benefit from interactive activities, research support, and a wealth of video clips that

   include small group scenarios, interpersonal interactions, plus student and professional

   speeches — some with annotations and critical questions — all geared to help students

   learn to communicate with confidence. URL: http://www.mycommunicationlab.com 

   (access code required). 

·  “Public Speaking Sample Assistant” boxes have been added to this edition, examining

   four sample annotated speeches and three outlines (preparation, template, and

   delivery) designed to illustrate the principles of public speaking and outlining

   (Chapters 10—13).

·  New “Media Literacy” boxes in each chapter emphasize the ways in which media

   influence us and how we can empower ourselves as media consumers.

·  Revised and expanded coverage of interviewing, emphasizing information and

   employment interviews, is available in The Interviewing Guidebook, which may be

   bought separately or packaged with new copies of Essentials of Human Communication.

Joseph A. DeVito received a BA from Hunter College in 1960 (with a major in speech and a minor in Spanish), an MA from Temple University in 1962 (with a major in speech along with some sociology), and a PhD from the University of Illinois in 1964 (with a major in speech and a minor in linguistics). After receiving his PhD, DeVito returned to his alma mater, Hunter College-in-the-Bronx [which later became Lehman College], to teach. Later, he moved to Queens College and then to Hunter (from which he retired from full-time teaching)—all within the City University of New York. During his teaching career, DeVito taught a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, with a concentration on the undergraduate level and mainly on the introductory courses.

At various times, DeVito has served on the editorial boards of Quarterly Journal of Speech, Communication Monographs, Communication Education, Communication Quarterly, Journal of Communication, and Etc: A Review of General Semantics. He has also served as consulting editor to publishers: Random House, Harper & Row, Waveland Press, and HarperCollins. He also served as ETS coordinator of the committee to construct the DANTES Public Speaking Test for the Educational Testing Service. A prolific author, DeVito has written or edited more than 20 books in the field of communication, including The Interpersonal Communication Book, Human Communication: The Basic Course, and Essentials of Human Communication, all published by Pearson.