Nonverbal Communication An Applied Approach

"Aren't you tired of treating a textbook like an optional feature of a course? I know I am! Nonverbal messaging is one of the most exciting topics in the study of human communication, and yet the structure of most textbooks in the field causes students to lose interest within the first few weeks. It's not that the entire course is filled with dull material; instead, the way that the nonverbal communication course has been constrained by texts has underserved students by failing to engage them from the outset. As students, teachers, and scholars of nonverbal messaging, we are likely familiar with scholarly literature that describes the importance of first impressions. Why, then, are we subjected to texts that swiftly lose student interest, when we know about the importance of those first interactions with a course? By choosing the second edition of Nonverbal Communication: An Applied Approach, an instructor can scaffold learning to the pace of their own course while taking advantage of a conversational narrative style that keeps students interested. In addition, the writing style meets the needs of current students who otherwise disengage with the very material that could help them better navigate daily experiences in a diverse world. While the nonverbal communication course continues to be taught as a foundational course at the advanced sophomore or junior level, most of the textbooks have been written at the advanced undergraduate or graduate level and follow a formulaic style. Rather than being written by teachers and scholars who have immersed themselves in the lived experience of students, many of these books focus on the minutiae of nonverbal codes to the exclusion of the relational contexts that best demonstrate an application of nonverbal communication research. Indeed, often a text only gains momentum and finally becomes a truly engaging read in the last couple of chapters"--