Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public Speaking

by Steve Duck, David T. McMahan

Overview

Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public Speaking offers an engaging look at the inseparable connection between relationships and communication. Authors Steve Duck and David T. Mc Mahan combine theory and application to introduce readers to fundamental communication concepts. Their book provides a strong foundation in communication concepts, theory, and research, while helping readers master practical communication skills, such as listening and critical thinking, using technology to communicate, understanding nonverbal communication, creative persuasive strategies, and managing group conflict. The Fourth Edition includes practical instruction on communicating interpersonally, in groups, in interviews and on making effective presentations. The authors inspire learners to think critically, connect communication theory to their own experiences, and enhance their communication skills along the way.

Also available in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Learn more about 978-1-0719-1570-7, Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public Speaking- Vantage Digital Option, Fourth Edition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781071915363
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	07/31/2025
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	440
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Steve Duck taught in the United Kingdom before taking up the Daniel and Amy Starch Distinguished Research Chair in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa. He has been a professor of communication studies, an adjunct professor of psychology, and a former Dean’s Administrative Fellow and is now Chair of the Rhetoric Department. He has taught interpersonal communication courses, mostly on relationships but also on nonverbal communication, communication in everyday life, construction of identity, communication theory, organizational leadership, and procedures and practices for leaders. More recently, he has taught composition, speaking, and rhetoric, especially for STEM students. By training an interdisciplinary thinker, Steve has focused on the development and decline of relationships, although he has also done research on the dynamics of television production techniques and persuasive messages in health contexts. Steve has written or edited 60 books on relationships and other matters and was the founder and, for the first 15 years, the editor of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. His book Meaningful Relationships: Talking, Sense, and Relating won the G. R. Miller Book Award from the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association. Steve cofounded a series of international conferences on personal relationships. He won the University of Iowa’s first Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award in 2001 and the National Communication Association’s Robert J. Kibler Memorial Award in 2004 for “dedication to excellence, commitment to the profession, concern for others, vision of what could be, acceptance of diversity, and forthrightness.” He was the 2010 recipient of the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Helen Kechriotis Nelson Teaching Award for a lifetime of excellence in teaching, and in the same year was elected one of the National Communication Association’s Distinguished Scholars. He received the NCA’s 2019 Mark L. Knapp Award in Interpersonal Communication for career contributions to the study of interpersonal communication. He hopes to make it to the Iowa State Fair one day.

David T. Mc Mahan received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 2001. With research focusing on the social aspects of media and technology, personal relationships, and rhetorical criticism, he is the author of multiple books, and his research and scholarship have been published in numerous academic journals and edited volumes. He was named a Centennial Scholar by the Eastern Communication Association. David has taught courses that span the discipline of communication, including numerous courses in interpersonal communication and personal relationships, media and technology, communication education, theory, and criticism. He has been honored to receive multiple awards for his work in the classroom. A tremendously active member of the discipline, David’s his extensive record of service includes President of the Central States Communication Association, Editor of the Iowa Journal of Communication, and Consulting Editor of the Journal of Communication Pedagogy, along with membership and activity on a vast number of academic committees, executive boards, and editorial boards. He will serve as President of the National Communication Association in 2021. David hopes to one day have the winning entry in the Super Bull competition at the Iowa State Fair.

Table of Contents

Preface
A Personal Note to Readers
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Part I: Communication Foundations
Chapter 1: An Overview of Communication
Exploring Communication: Everyday Communication and the Relational Perspective
Communication Is Symbolic
Communication Requires Meaning
Communication Is Cultural
Communication Is Relational
Communication Involves Frames
Communication Is Both Presentational and Representational
Communication Is a Transaction
Part II: Communication Skills
Chapter 2: Identities, Perceptions, and Communication
Basic Assumptions of Identity Creation
Identities and Perceptions
Transacting Identities: Communication and Performance
Transacting Identities: Self-Disclosure
Transacting Identities: Other People
Chapter 3: Verbal Communication
Verbal Communication Is Symbolic
Verbal Communication Requires Meaning
Verbal Communication Is Cultural
Verbal Communication Is Relational
Verbal Communication Involves Frames
Verbal Communication Is Both Presentational and Representational
Kenneth Burke’s Pentad
Verbal Communication Is a Transaction
Chapter 4: Nonverbal Communication
What Is Nonverbal Communication?
The Functions of Nonverbal Communication
Types of Nonverbal Communication
Misconceptions About Nonverbal Communication
Chapter 5: Culture and Communication
Points to Consider When Studying Culture
Culture as Structure
Structure-Based Cultural Characteristics
Transacting Culture
Chapter 6: Listening
Why Is Listening Important?
Types of Listening
Styles of Listening
Recognizing and Overcoming Listening Obstacles
PART III: Communication Contexts
Chapter 7: Personal Relationships
WHAT ARE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS?
WHY DO PEOPLE FORM RELATIONSHIPS?
INITIATING RELATIONSHIPS: ATTRACTION AND THE RELATIONSHIP FILTERING MODEL
DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS
MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS
COMING APART
Chapter 8: Groups and Leaders
What Is a Group?
Characteristics of Groups
Group Development and Decision Making
Group Decision Making Is About Relationships
Leadership
Chapter 9: Communication and Work
Learning About Work
Work as a Special Frame
Work as a Culture
Work as Relationships
Chapter 10: Technology and Media in Everyday Life
Perceptions of Technology and Media
The Relational Uses of Technology and Media
Phones and Relationships
Maintaining Relationships and the Internet
Chapter 11: Interviewing
Interviews
Cover Letters and Résumés
Pre-Interview Responsibilities for an Employment Interview
Beginning an Employment Interview
Asking the Questions During an Employment Interview
Answering the Questions During an Employment Interview
Concluding an Employment Interview
Post-Interview Responsibilities
Part IV: Presentation Skills In Context
Chapter 12: Preparing for a Presentation
Selecting Your Topic
Determining the Purpose and Thesis of Your Presentation
How Do You Analyze Audiences?
Evidence and Support Material
Using Evidence and Support Material
Selecting and Searching for Sources (Inventio)
Chapter 13: Developing a Presentation
The Body: Principles of Presentation Organization and Development
The Body: Organizational Patterns
Introductions
Conclusions
Chapter 14: Informative and Persuasive Presentations
Informative Presentations: Types
Informative Presentations: Strategies for Success
Persuasive Presentations: Types
Persuasive Presentations: Fallacious Arguments
Persuasive Presentations: Artistic Proofs
Persuasive Presentations: Social Judgment Theory
Chapter 15: Delivering a Presentation
Guidelines for Effective Delivery
Styles of Delivery
Goals of Effective Delivery
Components of Effective Delivery
Presentation Aids
Managing Communication Apprehension
Appendix A: The Discipline of Communication
Appendix B: Sample Presentations
Glossary
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

This book provides a valuable introduction to communication and is reader/student friendly. It's a book that works well for the introductory course and provides good coverage of many issues in communication studies.

Nick J. Sciullo

This textbook gives a significant overview of the communication discipline, perfect for the basic course or one focused on public speaking. My students actually do not mind reading it and find the authors to be enthusiastic about the subject.”

Christa A. Dillman

"This textbook is a must-have for the Basic Communication course. It gives the student the opportunity to explore all areas of communication studies. "

Sheila A. Cuffy

A refreshing introduction to communication as a viable academic discipline, while not neglecting the skill components needed by our students.”

Laurie Diles

This textbook is a great option for those who understand human communication as a discipline that is not codependent of digital platforms and computer-mediated communication.”

Manuel G. Avilés-Santiago

Clean, clear and crisp! Easy to read and filled with solid content.

Greg Scott

This is a thorough and well researched work on the subject of communication. It is written in a conversational tone but does a good job of breaking down somewhat difficult topics to their base components. It uses real world examples to illustrate some of the more advanced theories. It also asks questions about the subject matter that would require the student, who is used to regurgitating facts to actually read, ponder and understand.”

Jeanean Eldridge

The book is innovative in many aspects, and thus presents a valuable addition to existing literature I use for teaching and research.”

Dr. Martina Topic

A comprehensive, student-focused exploration of the complexity of human communication”

Darrell Mullins

This textbook is a great option for those who understand human communication as a discipline that is not codependent of digital platforms and computer-mediated communication.”

Manuel G. Avilés-Santiago