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sFFjVVPPmmVVVVFVVVssVVVVFFFFVVVVBPPmmmmjjPPPPmmmOmmqqmmmmqqmBBmmmmPPmmmmFssqqqqjssssOOqqqqssssqqqPrefACe

You can understand the philosophy that has shaped Understanding Human Com-munication, by trying a simple experiment. If you’re a professor, take a few mo-ments to jot down all the courses you recall taking as an undergraduate. If you’re

a student, make a list of all the courses you can remember from high school. Next, circle the courses that made an ongoing difference in your life.

If you’re like most people, you only recalled a fraction of the courses where you spent so many hours. Of the courses you did remember, it’s likely that only a few of them made a lasting impression.

Our intention in writing this book has been to insure that the course in which it’s used will be one of those memorable ones that change your life for the better. Beyond understanding and appreciating how human communication operates, we hope that this book and the course in which it’s used will help you communicate more effectively in the situations that count, and with the people who matter to you.

We remain convinced that the best way to measure this book’s value is to ask three questions: Is its content important? Is the material clear? Is it useful? Our goal has been to focus on topics that are absolutely essential and present them so that every sentence delivers an informational payoff worth the space it occupies. You are the best judge of how well we have succeeded.

New to This Edition Given our quickly changing world, the reasons for this updated edition are compel-ling. Several structural changes reflect how communication operates in contemporary society.

■ Most noticeable is the all-new Chapter 2, “The Changing World of Communica-tion.” True to its title, this chapter reveals how the nature of communication and the discipline that focuses on it have changed in the opening decades of the 21st century. Major sections deal with demographic and cultural influences that shape and reflect how we interact with others, and with the ways in which technologies have created both new opportunities and challenges. The chapter also presents a snapshot of the academic field of communication, and shows how it has evolved to reflect the chang-ing nature of human interaction.

■ New “@ Work” boxes in every chapter show readers how key concepts from the text operate in the workplace. Topics include how multitasking can interfere with face-to-face interaction, building social capital for career enhancement, dealing with sexual harassment, and working in virtual groups.

■ A new Appendix, “Communicating for Career Success” provides a wealth of informa-tion to help readers launch and grow in their chosen careers. Sections cover both pre-employment strategies designed to help readers get the jobs they want and strategies

for communicating in ways that enhance advancement throughout one’s career. We suggest to our students that the value of this material alone can justify keeping Under-standing Human Communication long after finishing the class in which it was used.

■ The Streamlined and Reorganized Part V gives students a quicker and more effi-cient entry to the art and science of public speaking. The new Chapter 11, “Planning Speeches,” distills synthesizes material on choosing and developing a topic (from the previous edition’s Chapter 10) as well as managing communication apprehension (previously in Chapter 12). After completing this chapter, students will be ready to deliver their first classroom speech.

In addition to improvements like these, material has been updated throughout the book to reflect the latest scholarship. For example, Chapter 3 explains how we perceive strangers differently in mediated and face-to-face communication. Chapter 4 explains how cultural identity is reflected in linguistic labels by which we describe others. Chapter 5 introduces research describing how hearing loss affects relationships.

AcknowledgmentsThis eleventh edition builds on the approach that has served almost one million stu-dents and their professors. Rather than take sides in the theory versus 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. A fresh design makes the material inviting, as do interest-ing readings, amusing and instructive cartoons, and stimulating photos that reinforce concepts in the text.

In an age when publishing is becoming increasingly corporate and sales-driven, we are grateful for the privilege and pleasure of working with the professionals at the venerable Oxford University Press. Led by John Challice, they blend the best “old school” practices with cutting-edge thinking. We salute our long-time friend and editor Peter Labella.

Finally, we thank our partners for their patience and support during the time we spent working on this edition. They may be the best judges of how well we’ve practiced the communication skills this book preaches.

Ronald B. Adler George Rodman Carrie C. Hutchinson

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sFFjVVPPmmVVVVFVVVssVVVVFFFFVVVVBPPmmmmjjPPPPmmmOmmqqmmmmqqmBBmmmmPPmmmmFssqqqqjssssOOqqqqssssqqqABout the Authors

Ronald B. AdlerRonald B. Adler is Professor of Communication Emeritus at Santa Barbara City College. He is coauthor of Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal Communication, Eleventh Edition (OUP, 2009), Looking Out, Looking In (2011), and Communicating at Work: Principles and Practices for Business and the Professions (2011).

George RodmanGeorge Rodman is Professor in the Department of Television and Radio at Brook-lyn College, City University of New York, where he founded the graduate media studies program. He is author of Mass Media in a Changing World, Fourth Edition (2011), Making Sense of Media (2001) and several books on public speaking.

Carrie Cropley HutchinsonCarrie Cropley Hutchinson is a professor in the Department of Communication at Santa Barbara City College where she directs the Interpersonal Communication and Business Communication programs. She also teaches Intercultural Commu-nication for the college’s study abroad program. Prof. Cropley is the author of Interpersonal Communication: Navigating Relationships in a Changing World (2010).