Written in a casual, lively style and clearly organized, this edition of Mastering Public Speaking equips students with a firm grounding in the "hows" and "whys" of public speaking, providing an ideal balance of theory and skills while placing important emphases on critiquing, ethics, and critical thinking.Building on its previous success, the Sixth Edition retains its popular and distinctive emphasis on the ethical contract between speaker and listener and on the value of critiquing speeches to improve one's own skills. Full of student examples from both two- and four-year schools (some of which are included in video form on MySpeechLab), Mastering Public Speaking adds interest and relevance to all aspects of the speech-making process. New to This Edition . . . Theory into Practice, a boxed feature that appears in every chapter, helps students understand and apply concepts and strategies of public communication to enhance their speaking competence. Try This boxes, also in each chapter, engage students in specific assignments that will prepare them for speeches they give in- and outside of class. Students may self-select these activities or their instructors may assign them.. Selected sample speeches discussed in the book are available on MySpeechLab in video format, offering visual examples for students. A stunning new design will engage students while presenting content in a more user-friendly style. What your colleagues are saying . . ."I find a lot to like in this text since I have used it since 1993. The book is very readable . . . and the mix of theory, practice, example, and application is super for an intro speech course." ~ Kathy Lee Berggren, Cornell University"This text is undoubtedly the strongest public speaking textbook I have worked with . . . In fact, the next time a textbook review committee is formed for a standardized public speaking course, the Grice and Skinner text will be my first recommendation." ~ Marianne Palmisano, Glendale Community College