Chapter 1 Summary

In its simplest iteration, communication involves only four basic components: the sender, receiver, message, and medium. This oversimplified definition may lull people into the delusion that communication is a simple process. Unfortunately, communication remains messy and difficult for some and can result in misunderstanding, hurt feelings, confusion, and damaged relationships. This book provides principles, theories, and suggestions to implement practice and preparation strategies so that anyone reading this book can work toward becoming a more effective public speaker.

Humans use communication to make sense out of the world. As people share their naming processes for things, experiences, and phenomena, they effectively define the world around them, and this reveals the essence of communication. Communication affects each and every part of every person’s daily life at nearly every moment. Learning to communicate effectively remains a sought-after skill. Learning how to speak in public effectively and confidently will likely lead to many benefits in life.