ICOMM: Interpersonal Concepts and Competencies

Roy Berko is the former associate director of the National Communication Association. He has authored or co-authored over 25 communication textbooks and numerous professional articles and studies. His academic work in both the fields of communication and counseling offer a unique perspective on interpersonal communication. Berko has been a professor (Lorain County Community College, Towson University, George Washington University, University of Maryland and Notre Dame College of Ohio), a mental health counselor in private practice, a crisis counselor and a communication trainer. Joan Aitken is professor of communication, at Park University. Previously, she taught at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Louisiana-Lafayette, and University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. A former editor of the National Communication Association's Communication Teacher, Aitken has published several books and more than 50 articles and book chapters. Andrew Wolvin, professor of communication at the University of Maryland, is an internationally-recognized expert in listening behavior. Identified as one of the top-ranked active researchers in communication, Wolvin has published widely in the field. Director of the basic communication course at Maryland, Wolvin also has extensive experience as a listening and communication consultant in federal agencies and private corporations.

Berko, Aitken, and Wolvin have it all for my next interpersonal communication course. Their new text weaves application and practice with theory. The book teaches concrete skills while introducing larger principles and important vocabulary. All the while, this work balances vivid examples and stories with extensive, current research in the field. In sum, "IComm" is a mindful eyeful of interpersonal communication. It my course's textbook from now on.

• 1 Foundations of Interpersonal Communication2 The Self and Communication3 Listening and Interpersonal Skills4 Verbal Language5 Nonverbal Communication6 The Principles of Relational Communication7 Beginning, Maintaining and Ending Relationships8 Conflict Resolution9 Interpersonal Relationships in the Family10 Electronically Mediated Interpersonal Communication11 The Self and Others12 Adapting to Communication Patterns in the Workplace