• A strong listening perspective. Most texts offer only a single chapter on listening. Throughout this book, the student is provided with important listening concepts that apply to each aspect of public communication. The principles of public speaking are presented in a context that encourages students to create and present messages that are "listenable"--carefully tailored to the needs and behaviors of intended listeners. The role of the listener to speeches is extensively investigated.
• Cutting-edge online Internet support. This site (http://roxbury.net/booksites/pspl/pshomepg.html) offers unparalleled instructional support, including the following features: (1) Free use of an online computerized speech-writing program. (2) Students can download useful speech critique forms. (3) Online chat capability allows students to engage in live talk with other students studying public speaking around the country. (4) A search engine enables students to easily conduct online research for speech preparation. (5) Students will receive regular e-mail tips about how to be better communicators. (6) PowerPoint links offer students ideas on how to best incorporate cutting-edge technology into their speeches. (7) The site's archives provide current and historical speeches for students to review, including video presentations.
• A cross-cultural dimension. In today's global village, public speakers and listeners are increasingly in contact with highly diverse and internationalized audiences. This text offers a framework and nonprescriptive guidelines for assessing relevant cultural differences and adapting speeches to different kinds of audiences. The authors present student-relevant concepts and examples--recognizing that students today represent a wide range of age groups, cultural backgrounds, and educational goals.
• A 21st-century point of view. Public communicators face unprecedented challenges in today's technological, fast-paced, information-overload society. The four-part process presented in this book prepares students for how to deal with and adapt to the demands that public speakers and public listeners bring to public communication.
• A blend of principles and practice. The authors of this text are nationally known academics who regularly teach principles of public speaking and public listening. They also are experienced professional speech coaches and public presenters. The text offers practical perspectives as well as interviews with professional public speakers and public listeners.

A comprehensive Instructor's Manual/Testing Program is also available, in book form or on disk.

This text is also ideal for instructors using distance learning.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: The Public Communicator: A Perspective
You and Public Speaking
You as a Public Listener
The Historical Roots of Public Speaking
Cultural Influences in Public Speaking
The Components of Public Communication
    The Source and the Code
    Perceptions and Attitudes
    The Message
    The Channel
    The Receiver
    Feedback
    Noise
    The Environment

Chapter Two: The Public Listener: A Perspective
The Importance of Public Listening
The Listening Process
    Reception
    Perception
    Attention
    The Assignment of Meaning
    Response
    Listening Influencers
The Purposes of Listening
    Discrimination Level
    Comprehension Level
    Therapeutic Level
    Critical Level
    Appreciation Level
Listening to Speeches
Improving Listening
    Techniques
    A Willingness to Listen

Chapter Three: The Responsible Public Communicator
Freedom of Expression
Reaching Conclusions
    Critical Thinking
    Theological Reasoning
    Philosophical Thought
    Conflicts Between Systems for Reaching Conclusions
Ethics
    Ethics and Society
    Ethics and You
    A Code of Ethics
    Differing Ethical Views
    The Ethical Responsibilities of a Public Speaker
        Plagiarism
        Fabrication
    The Ethical Responsibilities of a Public Listener

Chapter Four: The Listenable Speech
The Foundations of Listenablilty
The Listenable Speaker
Listener Limits
Creating Listenable Messages

Chapter Five: Getting Started
Elements of Analysis
Prior Analysis
    Personal Inventory
    Audience Inventory
    Demographics
        Age
        Gender
        Religion
        Cultural and Ethnic
        Uniqueness
        Intellectual Level
        Occupation
    Psychographics
        Political Affiliation
        Conservative or Liberal Disposition
        Social and Economic Levels
        Listening/Learning Style
    Rhetorographics
        Place
        Time
        Emotional Climate
Process Analysis
Postspeech Analysis
Getting Ready to Listen to a Speech

Chapter Six: The Speech Purpose
The Purpose Statement
The Speech Goal
The Speech Topic
    Time Allotted
    Structure of the Speech
    Audience Needs
The Method of Developing the Speech
Establishing Listening Goals

Chapter Seven: Developing the Speech: Supporting Materials
Types of Supporting Materials
    Verbal Illustrations
    Specific Instances
    Exposition
    Statistics
    Analogies
    Testimony
    Visualizations
    Humor
Vehicles for Presenting Supporting Materials
    Attention Devices
    Restatement
    Forecasting
Supporting Materials--Accuracy, Currency, Presentation
    Accuracy of Materials
    Statistical Surveying
    Currency of Data
    Presentation of Data
Supplementary Aids
    Visual Aids
        Real Objects
        Models
        Photographs, Pictures, Diagrams, and Maps
        Charts
        Cutaways
        Mockups
        Presentation Graphics
    Audio Aids
    Audiovisual Aids
    Listening to Supporting Material

Chapter Eight: Sources of Supporting Materials
Print Sources of Information
    Books
    Magazines
    Newspapers
    Journals
    Indexes
    Government Pamphlets
    Publications from Special-Interest Groups
Nonprint Sources of Information
        Audiovisual Materials
    Interviews
Computer Searches
    Computer-Based Retrieval Systems 
    The Internet
Recording Your Research
Listening to the Sources