Understanding Human Communication

by Ronald B. Adler, George Rodman

Now in its ninth edition, this classic book retains the features that have made it the best-selling introductory human communication text in the an engaging and reader-friendly style; an inviting visual design that includes high-interest marginalia on virtually every page; up-to-date
information on technology, gender, and cultural diversity; and everyday applications based on solid research and theory. Maintaining the quality of presentation and student-focused pedagogy that have characterized previous editions, Understanding Human Communication , Ninth Edition, incorporates
updated examples and coverage of current communication theory. It continues to equip students with effective communication skills that will make a difference in their everyday lives.

New to the Ninth
* New material on mediated communication, personal listening styles, deceptive communication, and informative speaking
* A revised section on the Cumulative Effects Theory and more applications of communication in the workplace, within the family, and at school
* Updated research and examples on negative/positive language and gender influences on communication
* Improved design and case studies at the opening of each part, highlights at the beginning of each chapter, and completely annotated full speech outlines with accompanying sample speeches
* Additional teaching and learning Student Success Manual, Student Resources Disc, expanded Instructor's Manual and Test Bank, Instructor's Disc, and an extensive web site

Genres: Textbooks, Psychology, Nonfiction, School, Communication, Read For School, College

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Ronald Brian Adler

Reviews

[Jessica Gleason]

Interesting updates. The new chapters are useful. Lacks real world readings/articles which could help students apply concepts. I wish it also had better activities.

[Spencer Hubert]

This book was extremely frustrating to read. Almost all of its content everyone knows by the age of 14, but because the book spends chapters and chapters putting in into words to whose benefit I do not know (aliens?), it tricks the reader into thinking they're learning new concepts or skills. While in addition, just constantly throughout the book, every other paragraph, the extremely annoying author HAS to throw in another political jab. And the thing is: college students eat this stuff up. It's literally a tool for brainwashing.

[Karla]

My son’s speech class text
Comprehensive and well written I liked the connection to Chapman, as I was previously familiar with his work
Activities are connected to the material well and further exploration is available at the website
The format design was colorful, text format changing appropriately as well
Summaries are brief, key terms pretty direct

[Angela]

Ronald B. Adler has been groundbreaking in the field of communications since his 1965 edition. I took a course in 1989 in college that studied his insights, and it has been a benefit to my personal and professional life ever since.

[Alexann]

Interesting, but incredibly redundant in my opinion. I ended up not reading the last chapters, opting for my teacher’s powerpoint explanations instead which were more organized and went straight to the point.

[Shaydy]

At times this is a self-help book with valuable mementos; at others, it puts names to phenomenon most people have experienced since youth and don’t necessarily benefit from hearing explained in textbook (albeit accessible textbook) format.

[Rain]

Dry boring... but required reading for college speech class.

[Acenith Claassen]

Tends to contradict its own text quite a bit with regard to sex and gender. Quizzes in each chapter put people into categories that simply cannot be accurate based on 4 or 5 questions.

[Amelia]

So many typos, but I learned a lot from the actual content.

[Nicholas Ward]

Tough

[Maya Lane DeGala Harris]

This book determines whether you are a good human being with interpersonal communication terms!

[Haytham Badawey]

The best book on human communication, it has the cutting edge for the art and science of human communication. The terminology, the concepts, processes, skills and abilities; everything is explained in fine details and very well presented and summarized in this book.

Other books in the field are just a trial for imitating and copying this book, I read the 3th edition, and I use it as a reference!

I completely recommend it!

[Magali Williams]

Not a fun read--it was a textbook for a class lol, but for the most part very educational. There were several things about the LGBTQ+ that were either blatantly wrong or just mostly wrong. It was nice to see the effort but it's really frustrating when it might be some people's only knowledge on certain aspects of the community. Most of the issues I found were with the gender side of things or just using sexuality, sex, and gender interchangeably at times.

[Stephen]

2004 wrote: Required Read for Fundamentals of Speech and Communication. I resolve I will never understand human communication, nor will anyone, for as soon as it is studied, it will evolve into something else. If too many know it's secrets, the tricks are gone. The gig is up.

[Jonathan]

None

[Kristen]

I had to read this book for a 1st year University class. I remember using it again in other years as it was very informative to my studies as a Communications student

[Miriam Dyck]

It did its job. It got me through my course and it was very well organized. For all intense and purposes it was fine but nothing to read for fun

[Melonie]

This book must be good, since I was on the re-editing team ;-)

[Issa]

It definitely exceeded my expectations!