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 this book we bring that extensive tradition to the forefront of public speaking instruction while also maintaining the skills aspect of public speaking pedagogy. In short, we help you understand the “why” behind the “how” in effective public speaking. In The Speaker, the authors bring tradition to the forefront of public speaking instruction while also maintaining the skills aspect.