The most striking element of Foss, Foss, and Trapp's Contemporary Perspectives on Rhetoric is the way in which the writers enmesh the autobiographical with the rhetorical. Rather than taking the typical approach of featuring a timeline for the development of rhetorical history,the authors begin each chapter with a detailed and fascinating narration of life experiences that shaped and constrained the voices of each theorist. Students are invited to "hear" definitions and concepts within the soundstage of each individual theorist. Rather than remaining as abstract and impersonal thinkers, the featured figures become full-fledged characters with varied and rich contextual dramas shaping their perspectives on the art and philosophy of symbolic creation. Students are encouraged to probe the styles and stratgies of each theorist; they become engaged in the exciting, "continuing conversation" known as rhetorical theory.

This was an amazing book! The authors do a wonderful job of formatting a book for the beginning learner to understand! I highly recommend it!

If you are interested in helping your students move from average to really engaging, effective, and ethical public speakers, you really ought to check out INVITING TRANSFORMATION.

Finally, here's a public speaking text that teaches sound theoretical principles for communication in a contemporary context. Students are provided with scores of explanations and examples to help them create presentations that are dialogical (speaking "with" audiences) rather than monological (performing "for" audiences). The result is that students' presentations are more focused and engaging--not "cookie cutter" or trite.

The theory of inviting transformation is one that makes sense to students, and it shows, as their presentations are markedly improved after learning it. My colleagues across our campus have told me that they can identify the students who have had my public speaking course by their effective presentations. I attribute this success to Foss and Foss' ideas in INVITING TRANSFORMATION.

Certainly, this text will be a part of every public speaking course I ever teach. You really ought to check it out.

Finally, a public speaking text unlike all the others. Foss and Foss offer students and teachers an approach to communication that privileges values so vital to out country's multicultural landscape such as safety, value, freedom, and openness.
One of the difficulties in teaching public speaking has always been the fear factor: most people are terrified to speak in public. Because "Inviting Transformation" conceptualizes the role of the speaker in partnership and community with the audience, rather than in control of them, the students see themselves working WITH an audience rather than against them. By focusing on concepts such as safety and value in a communication context, I have also discovered that this approach has helped make students more reflective of their listening and participation skills. Overall, we begin to see how all aspects of our communication can be conducive to an environment of dialogue.

Sonja and Karen Foss give a different perspective on presentational speaking. The audience is to be valued and invited to change -- just as the speaker is valued and comes to a speaking situation willing to change. This book gives us the opportunity to look at all types of communication not just public speaking. A great text for any speaking course or anyone looking to improve their presentational speaking.