Understanding Human Communication 12th Edition

Book Preface

For some time we have noted that the title of this book, Understanding Human Com­mrmication, is misleading in two ways.
On one hand, the title promises too little. Helping readers understand the na­ture of human communication is certainly one goal of this book. But beyond comprehension, we hope students will learn ways to apply their newfound knowl­edge, thereby becoming more skillful communicators in their everyday lives.

On the other hand, this book’s title promises too much. lt’s unrealistic to ex­pect that any introduction will give readers a comprehensive understanding of such a complex subject. For that reason, we’ve come to realize that a more accurate title would be Beginning to Understand Human Communication. One measure of suc­cess is the degree to which students leave the introductory course wanting to learn more about this fascinating and important subject.
After 12 editions, it’s too late to change the book’s title. Nonetheless, a quick look at the contents should make our goal clear: to provide an engaging, compre­hensive, useful introduction to the academic study of human communication as it is practiced in the 21st century.

We remain convinced that the best test of this book’s success in achieving this goal is to ask three questions: ls its content important? Is the material clear? Is it useful? These three questions allow us to develop a comprehensive exploration of human communication that will be truly meaningful to students. You are the best judge of how well we have succeeded.

Approach

This 12th edition builds on the approach that has served well over half a million students and their professors. Rather than take sides in the theory vs. skills debate that often rages in our discipline, Understanding Human Communication treats schol­arship and skill development as mutually reinforcing. Its reader-friendly approach strives to present material clearly without being overly simplistic. Examples on vir­tually every page make concepts clear and interesting. An elegant, contemporary design makes the material inviting, as do amusing and instructive cartoons and photos that link concepts in the text to today’s world.