A Speakerโs Guidebook: Text and Reference is a groundbreaking public speaking text that offers better solutions to the wide range of challenges that students face. Adopted at more than 850 schools since the first edition was published in 2001, the book grew out of the realization that public speaking courses are not ends in themselves. The authors strive to help students go beyond merely meeting the requirements of the course โ with guidance for delivering presentations in their other college courses, in their working lives after college, and in the vital roles they may play in their communities. The book functions not only as a brief yet comprehensive classroom text but also as a unique and useful post-classroom reference, one that will prove an invaluable resource in any public speaking situation graduates may face.
The key goal of A Speakerโs Guidebook has always been to effectively address the fundamental challenges of public speaking, both inside and outside the speech classroom. And we recognize that as times have changed โ especially due to advances in technology โ the challenges of both formal public speaking and presentational speaking in the classroom and workplace have evolved as well. Thus, with the support of hundreds of instructors nationwide, we have developed a book that students use and keep, that reinforces basic skills while providing cutting-edge coverage, and that helps students apply what theyโve learned to their own speeches.