We have worked hard to make sure this ninth edition of Understanding Human Communication meets the needs of both students and their professors as described above. If we’ve succeeded, students will find this book is clear, interesting and useful, and that it provides tools that will help them succeed in their first serious exploration of human communication. And if we’ve done our job, professors will find the book does justice to the discipline and helps make their teaching more efficient and effective. This edition builds on the approach that has served over a half million students and their professors well in the past. Rather than take sides in the theory vs. skills debate that often rages in our discipline,Understanding Human Communication treats scholarship and skill development as mutually reinforcing. Its reader-friendly approach strives to present material clearly without being overly simplistic.A wealth of examples helps make concepts clear and interesting.A handsome design makes the material inviting, as do a collection of stimulating photos, interesting readings, amusing and instructive cartoons, and well-chosen quotations. Marginal definitions of cultural idioms help non-native English speakers make sense of colloquial expressions.