It’s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century

Reviewed by Joseph McDonald, Adjunct Professor, Organizational Sciences and Communication, The George Washington University on 6/28/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This is a great resource for an introductory course in Public Communication. It covers every essential aspect of public speaking to help students understand why it is important to know the different types of speeches and the power each style can have in influencing their audience. Each chapter has learning objectives and comprehensive key terms at the start. There are useful videos to illustrate and reinforce concepts for visual and auditory learners. The authors have taken care to make sure that each topic has a “why” section that shows how it will benefit the students in their careers and personal lives. There is an excellent table of contents that links easily to each section. Comprehensive and useful glossary.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is well-researched and accurately presented. The list of contributors and expertise is impressive.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Some communication skills are timeless, oratory goes back to the time of ancient Greece. The authors acknowledge this but clearly demonstrate how these techniques are useful today. The chapter on Online Public Speaking is particularly relevant.

Clarity rating: 4

Generally, the text is approachable to every type of student. Having several authors can vary the tone and complexity in some cases, but it is usually well-presented for the majority of the book.

Consistency rating: 4

The authors work to create a consistency of tone and approach. Having several contributors and sources sometimes has some differences. But this is only apparent when reading the text straight through. It’s better suited to be read and understood in “chunks”, which is how I assign the readings.

Modularity rating: 5

The strength of this text is how it is constructed. Sections can be easily assigned on the syllabus and comprehensively covered in the course of one semester. Every section is clearly labeled and identified for study and cross-reference.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

An impressive aspect of this text is the “scaffolding” approach the authors take. The first chapters lay out the groundwork for the “why” of public speaking – confidence, listening, audience analysis, and ethics, in preparation for students’ first speeches.

Interface rating: 5

Excellent interface in both the online and e-book versions. All links work in cross-reference. The video links are great.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is appropriate for all audiences. The ideas presented are universal.

I have used this text in two College classes so far and will continue to use it in the future. The “scaffolding” approach the authors use makes it easier for instructors to introduce the power of public speaking in a non-threatening way. The chapter on organizing and outlining helps students construct speeches that are relevant to them and entertaining for the audience. The very title of the book explains the power of public speaking and how understanding the audience is the key to success. It has been liberating for me to assign readings from Day 1 using the OER text. Students in an introductory class appreciate not having to purchase a book.

Reviewed by Evan Fiedler, Adjunct Faculty, Tidewater Community College on 4/13/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The chapters cover appropriate subjects for this very complex skill. It is very clever organization; first and foremost identifying your audience and the importance of listening are addressed. Each chapter includes a list of key terms and there is a glossary at the end of the book.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is very-organized, logical, well-written, and unbiased. Several different references are utilized and in APA format.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The contributors of this text are in-touch with the process of making content current. Here is a list of changes that were stated in the 'Adaptations' section (including 'Old References were updated with current ones');
• Images were added and replaced to reflect a diverse and inclusive audience.
• Supplementary videos were added to some sections.
• H5P activities/multimedia were inserted into sections to reinforce concepts.
• The glossary section was expanded to include more vocabulary.
• Chapters were reordered

Clarity rating: 5

The content is very impressive, there are diagrams, images, and thought-provoking questions to facilitate understanding and engage the readers.

Consistency rating: 5

The format is consistent throughout the book. Each chapter shares a list of Learning Objectives and Key Terms. In addition, there are key points repeated from the content inserted into individual text boxes. It is a very clever approach to help the reader recall and focus on the main concepts.

Modularity rating: 5

The chapters are divided into subsections and labeled in the Table of Contents (at the beginning of the book). It is feasible to assign subsections as opposed to entire chapters to students.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The logical presentation of these topics is excellent. As shared previously, you begin by identifying your audience and learn listening skills, and then progress into researching your speech topic, building arguments, and organizing and outlining before studying the delivery of the speech.

Interface rating: 5

The textbook links the Table of Contents to each chapter and subsection. The only recommendation would be linking the bold key terms in the context to the glossary (I realize this takes quite a bit of time to link each individual word).

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There no overtly apparent grammatical errors. In addition, the textbook is written in understandable language, facilitating interpretation of the meaning of the content.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The contributors have made an intentional effort in this textbook to recognize and value diversity (in all aspects).

I think this book is more than a must-read for the dual-enrollment student (as intended); it is a powerful tool for the educator to improve their pedagogy. I can't speak for my peers, but I know for myself every class is a new adventure that requires innovative and effective communication to succeed in our role. Thank you for publishing this excellent resource.