The Speaker: The Tradition and Practice of Public Speaking

Speech is both a skill and a field of study. Today, however, the rich tradition of speech communication studies is either reduced to a few quick mentions of Aristotle and Cicero, or at worst, lost altogether. Why have we forgotten where we come from, and more importantly, why are we not sharing those origins with our students? In The Speaker, the authors bring tradition to the forefront of public speaking instruction while also maintaining the skills aspect. The text fuses the ageless speech principles developed during the Classical Period with more contemporary advances. This combination provides students with a strong foundation for developing speeches and presentations for the classroom, the boardroom, or the stage. The authors help students understand the why behind the how of effective public speaking.