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Title overview

For courses in Introduction to Speech Communication.

A streamlined approach to communication that emphasizes real-world applications

Essentials of Human Communication introduces the essential theories, research and skills of human communication, highlighting practical applications in the workplace and beyond. Throughout this accessible text, author Joseph DeVito helps students build competence in 3 key spheres: interpersonal communication, small-group communication and public speaking.

The 10th Edition includes new research and updated examples in each chapter. New In Preview figures and In Review tables guide students through the text.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Communicating Ethically boxes examine ethical issues and dilemmas. These features encourage students to think about the ethical implications of their messages.
  • Viewpoints photos with accompanying captions prompt readers to consider a variety of issues, many of which focus on the themes of social media, the workplace and culture.
  • The Public Speaking Sample Assistant in the public speaking chapters provides sample annotated speeches and outlines to assist students in preparing their own speeches.
  • Learning objectives highlight major concepts and help students build their skills for 3 major levels of thinking: knowledge, application and problem solving.
  • Essential terms appear in boldface with pop-up definitions, and recur in chapter-ending flashcard decks.

New and updated features of this title

  • NEW: In Preview figures annotated with hotspots provide a quick look at upcoming concepts.
  • NEW: In Review interactive tables allow students to first study and review the information and then assess their memory and understanding of the concepts by removing and then dragging select content back to the correct position.
  • UPDATED: Choice Points features encourage students to identify and evaluate the communication choices that are available in different contexts. In the 10th Edition, the choice points are more closely aligned with the chapter learning objectives.
    • Ethical Choice Points offer interactive short-answer opportunities.
    • Communication Choice Points provide interactive writing opportunities with assessment capability.
  • UPDATED: The 10th Edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect the latest information in the field. Each chapter has been revised for greater clarity and less redundancy. The authors have incorporated new research and updated examples and photos into each chapter.

Table of contents

PART 1: FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION
1. The Essentials of Human Communication
2. Perception of Self and Others
3. Listening in Human Communication
4. Verbal Messages
5. Nonverbal Messages

PART 2: INTERPERSONAL AND SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION
6. Interpersonal Communication and Conversation
7. Interpersonal Relationships
8. Managing Interpersonal Conflict
9. Small Group Communication
10. Members and Leaders in Small Group Communication

PART 3: PUBLIC SPEAKING
11. Public Speaking Preparation (Steps 1-6)
12. Public Speaking Preparation and Delivery (Steps 7-10)
13. The Informative Speech
14. The Persuasive Speech

Author bios

About our authors

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.

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