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Cover of Public Speaking: The Inside Story v2.0
Published: 
October 2023
Page Count: 
446
ISBN (Digital): 
978-1-4533-4223-7

Public Speaking: The Inside Story

Version 2.0
By Constance Staley

Included Supplements

Key Features

  • Geared to public speaking courses taught fully online, hybrid, or face to face. A special section in each chapter addresses highly current and unique aspects of virtual presentations
  • Hyperlinks to almost 50 embedded streaming videos—many of which are new to this version—enrich online courses, engage students, and reinforce or augment many of the presented topics
  • An underlying framework composed of the “Four Cs” (Curiosity, Control, Challenge, and Career) enriches the content, guides student learning, and is fully compatible with any teaching strategy or existing class preparation
  • Each of the text’s five major parts begins with a “Challenge Case Study” about a typical  student’s issues in a public speaking class. “What Do You Think?” questions follow these “Challenge Cases,” encouraging students to voice their own reactions to typical student concerns in the course and engage with the material
  • Five representative, case-study speakers each deliver one speech, performed and filmed especially for this text. Each part-opening “Challenge Case” hyperlinks to the streaming video of the related speech. The associated short speech reflects both strengths and areas for improvement. They also provide opportunities for readers to practice their listening and evaluation skills
  • Key in-text features, geared to particularly appeal to Generation Z students, appear in each chapter
    • “Talking Points” at the start of every chapter summarize learning objectives and orient students to the material they are about to encounter
    • The “Challenge→Reaction→Insight→Action” system runs through each chapter. Brief “Challenge→Reaction” boxes lead off each main head section, posing a leading or provocative question to engage students, prompt them to think critically about the chapter to come, and demonstrate what they already know and what they stand to learn. “Insight→Action” boxes close every chapter help students analyze important chapter concepts and integrate them into their personal and professional lives
    • Key terms highlight important concepts and terminology. These terms also appear at the end of each chapter and as an end-of-book glossary/index
    • Embedded, streaming video links and short evocative or poignant quotes provide high-interest opportunities to stimulate readers’ interaction with the text
    • “Challenge: On the Spot” mini-articles recognize that much of real-world public speaking is impromptu, informal, and common practice within the work environment. “Challenge” features help students become more comfortable with unexpected, short speaking opportunities and meet (or exceed) expectations
    • “Curiosity: ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)” highlights important new or trending information on public speaking gleaned from a variety of sources including communication research, industry literature, internet highlights, social media, mass media, and blogs
    • “Control: Put Fear in Its Place” reveals common speaking anxieties and mentors students on how to reframe anxiety as energy to fuel successful speeches
    • “Career: Connect with Your Future” explains how fundamental concepts are pragmatically connected to the world of work and career success
    • “Speaking Virtually” features in each chapter contain advice about how online presentations—representing an estimated 80 percent of presentations delivered in organizations pre-COVID and skyrocketing since then—possess unique requirements in terms of setting, preparation, organization, and delivery
    • Exercises throughout the chapters allow students to practice new concepts and incorporate them into their own speech crafting
  • Author-prepared PowerPoint lecture slides include hotlinks to online video resources to provide interactive, visual interest for both synchronous and asynchronous online lectures
  • Liven up online class meetings with this book’s unique “PowerPoint Riffs” slides. Students deliver an impromptu speech based on a pre-prepared PowerPoint presentation. The game-like experience makes public speaking less stressful and more fun, while helping students learn to connect ideas and think on their feet
  • All supplements were written or reviewed by the author to help new adopters transition to the book and facilitate online class preparation and delivery
  • Complimentary access to FlatWorld Homework and its Video Speech Recorder/Uploader with every purchase of FlatWorld’s online reader. Features a video-uploading tool that enables students to record and share recorded speeches within a secure grading environment. Integrated grading rubrics drawn from the book can be customized or fully new rubrics can be uploaded by adopters
  • Customizable

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Public Speaking: The Inside Story is appropriate for the Introductory Public Speaking course taught at the undergraduate level at two- and four-year colleges and universities. This book is equally useful in face-to-face, hybrid, or fully online courses.

Public Speaking: The Inside Story covers the fundamentals of public speaking along with the tools and techniques needed to speak successfully in virtual environments. The book is structured around “Four Factors of Intrinsic Motivation” or “Four Cs” (Curiosity, Control, Challenge, and Career). This motivational framework focuses students’ attention while providing a context drawn from the information-rich, constantly changing world in which students live. The highly visual text helps students learn the fundamentals of public speaking—from selecting and researching compelling topics to delivering speeches with power and passion. Informed by current research on how today’s Generation Z students (born since the year 1996) consume information, it also emphasizes inclusion and the relevance of professional speaking for students of all ages and backgrounds. This book works equally well in any instructional context bringing relevance to the basic course for today’s learners. 

New in This Version

  • Revised to trim length, sharpen explanations, and make discussions more meaningful and relevant to today’s learners
  • Enhanced diversity and inclusion coverage is woven throughout
  • Updated research from the world of academics and timely professional advice from experts in the fast-evolving world of work
  • Gender-neutral language when appropriate
  • “Speaking Virtually” features now appear in every chapter and prepare students for the new virtual world we live in, each one closely linked to its specific chapter content. Examples include “Does Speaking Virtually Raise—or Lower—Anxiety?” (Chapter 2), “How Can Speakers Keep a Virtual Audience Engaged?” (Chapter 5), and “How Should Virtual Speakers Refine Their Body Language?” (Chapter 10)
  • Re-focused feature on career opportunities is now called “Career: Connect with Your Future”
  • Increased focus on the future of work, including working from home (WFH), hybrid, and return-to-the-office options
  • Enhanced “PowerPoint Riff exercises,” now introduced in Chapter 2, with 10 new slide decks included for instructor use in class or online
  • Revitalized emphasis on positivity, gratitude, hope, and confidence to help counteract post-pandemic psychological challenges
  • New or updated in-text features include
    • New “Curiosity” feature on PowerPoint Speaker Coach (Chapter 4)
    • New “Curiosity” feature on ChatGPT (Chapter 5)
    • New “Short Course on PowerPoint Professionalism,” updated exercise, “Critique These Slide Decks” (Chapter 11)
    • Updated exercise: “The Power of Emotions” (Chapter 13)
    • New “On the Spot” feature: “Give Yourself Some Grace” (Chapter 14)
  • New chapter introduction on recent changes in the realities of work (Chapter 15)
  • New section on “Communicating with Difficult People on the Job” (Chapter 15)
  • Inclusion of National Communication Association’s Eight Competencies as a “pre-test” in Chapter 1 and “post-test” in Chapter 15
  • Many new hyperlinks to streaming videos, including
    • Matt Abrahams TED Talk on “Speaking Up Without Freaking Out” (Chapter 2)
    • Morgan Hamel TED Talk on “Becoming As Ethical As We Think We Are” and “Enron Whistleblower, Sherron Watkins, Now Teaches Business Ethics Twenty Years after Companies Fall” (Chapter 3)
    • Simon Senek on “How Gen Zs Deal with Stress” (Chapter 3)
    • Adam Grant TED Talk on “How to Stop Languishing and Start Finding Flow” (Chapter 4)
    • Lera Boroditsky TED Talk on “How Language Shapes the Way We Think” (Chapter 9)
    • Cyril Junior Dim, 2022 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, on “Ndina” (Chapter 10)
  • About the Author
  • Acknowledgments
  • Preface

    • Part 1: Owning Your Speech

    Chapter 1: Is Public Speaking Relevant?

  • 1.1 What Is Public Speaking?
  • 1.2 The Communication Process: How It Works
  • 1.3 Why Public Speaking Is Relevant: Personal, College, and Career Success!
  • 1.4 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 1.5 Speaking from the Stars

    • Chapter 2: How Can I Manage My Anxiety?

  • 2.1 Understanding Anxiety: What, Me Worry?
  • 2.2 Understanding Speech Anxiety: Butterflies, Anyone?
  • 2.3 Training Your Speech Anxiety Butterflies
  • 2.4 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 2.5 Speaking from the Stars

    • Chapter 3: How Important Is Ethics?

  • 3.1 The Cultural Context: Ethics in Today’s World
  • 3.2 The Situational Context: The Ethics of Public Speaking
  • 3.3 The Personal Context: How Do You Make Ethical Speaking Decisions?
  • 3.4 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 3.5 Speaking from the Stars

    • Part 2: Planning Your Speech

    Chapter 4: How Do I Start?

  • 4.1 First Steps
  • 4.2 Explore Potential Topics
  • 4.3 Handpick Your Best Idea
  • 4.4 Know Your Purpose
  • 4.5 What’s Your Thesis?
  • 4.6 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 4.7 Speaking from the Stars

    • Chapter 5: How Important Is the Audience?

  • 5.1 Connections Count: Build a Relationship with the Audience
  • 5.2 The Three C’s of Audience Analysis: Put Your Focus Where Your Mouth Is
  • 5.3 The Audience as Listeners: “Ah, There You Are”
  • 5.4 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 5.5 Speaking from the Stars

    • Part 3: Preparing Your Speech

    Chapter 6: How Do I Find and Select Materials to Support My Ideas?

  • 6.1 Who Said So? Using Research to Support Your Ideas
  • 6.2 Critical Thinking Is Critical
  • 6.3 Five Key Steps to Researching Your Speech
  • 6.4 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 6.5 Speaking from the Stars

    • Chapter 7: How Do I Organize and Outline My Speech?

  • 7.1 Why Organizing a Speech Is Necessary
  • 7.2 How to Organize a Speech
  • 7.3 Using Organizational Patterns
  • 7.4 How to Create an Outline
  • 7.5 The Gist: Chapter Summary Outline
  • 7.6 Speaking from the Stars

    • Chapter 8: How Do I Create Introductions and Conclusions?

  • 8.1 The Four Components of Successful Introductions
  • 8.2 So, in Conclusion . . . Go Out with a Bang!
  • 8.3 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 8.4 Speaking from the Stars

    • Part 4: Presenting Your Speech

    Chapter 9: How Can I Best Use Language?

  • 9.1 How Do Words Create Meaning?
  • 9.2 Be Clear, Correct, and Compelling
  • 9.3 Use Inclusive Language
  • 9.4 Use Creative and Memorable Language
  • 9.5 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 9.6 Speaking from the Stars

    • Chapter 10: How Do I Best Deliver My Speech?

  • 10.1 Presence: I’m Not Sure What It Is, but I Know It When I See It
  • 10.2 The How’s of Good Delivery
  • 10.3 The Anatomy of a Speaker
  • 10.4 Practice Makes . . . Better
  • 10.5 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 10.6 Speaking from the Stars

    • Chapter 11: How Should I Use Visual Aids?

  • 11.1 Why Use Visual Aids?
  • 11.2 How to Use Visual Aids
  • 11.3 Polish Your PowerPoint Skills
  • 11.4 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 11.5 Speaking from the Stars

    • Part 5: Kinds of Public Speaking

    Chapter 12: How Should I Speak to Inform?

  • 12.1 Information Please: What Is Informative Speaking?
  • 12.2 The Who and Why of Informative Speaking
  • 12.3 The How of Informative Speaking: Making Information Meaningful
  • 12.4 The Structure and Science of Information: Big Data
  • 12.5 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 12.6 Speaking from the Stars

    • Chapter 13: How Should I Speak to Persuade?

  • 13.1 The Who of Persuasive Speaking
  • 13.2 Winning Listeners’ Minds
  • 13.3 The How of Persuasive Speaking
  • 13.4 The Art and Architecture of Storytelling: Story over Stats?
  • 13.5 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 13.6 Speaking from the Stars

    • Chapter 14: How Should I Speak Differently on Special Occasions?

  • 14.1 Commemorative Speeches: Mark the Occasion
  • 14.2 Toasts and Roasts
  • 14.3 Other Commemorative Speeches: Tributes, After-Dinner Speeches, and Giving or Accepting Awards
  • 14.4 The Eulogy: Honoring a Life
  • 14.5 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 14.6 Speaking from the Stars

    • Chapter 15: How Should I Speak on the Job?

  • 15.1 How You Speak on the Job Can Make or Break You
  • 15.2 Creating a Framework for Strategic Speaking on the Job
  • 15.3 The Gist: Chapter Summary
  • 15.4 Speaking from the Stars
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    Constance Staley University of Colorado Colorado Springs

    Constance Staley (PhD University of Colorado Boulder) is Professor of Communication in the Department of Communication and recently Acting Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs where she teaches courses in public speaking, professional speaking online, advanced virtual presentations, creating a learning organization, conflict and negotiation, and learning and development. Connie’s work appears in such journals as Group and Organization Studies, Communication Quarterly, Public Personnel Management, Communication Education, and Human Relations. She has published 22 books, including various editions of four market-leading college success textbooks. Connie has delivered keynote addresses at the national meetings of such organizations as the College Reading and Learning Association and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. She is also a frequent presenter at conferences, such as the National Communication Association, and delivers national professional development webinars on timely topics to large, online audiences. A past recipient of the University of Colorado’s Outstanding Teacher Award, Connie was nominated for a CASE U.S. Professor-of-the-Year Award; has worked full time in Learning and Development in an East Coast Fortune 500 company; and was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to teach in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses every year, Dr. Staley conducts organizational training on embracing generational diversity, building effective teams, managing conflict, storytelling, and effective speaking, virtually and in-person. She also recently led a strategic initiative on her campus to create a ground-breaking, state-of-the-art (Career) Hub for students.

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