- Shows students the relevance and power of public speaking. The first chapter explains the importance of speaking skills and connects them to students' personal growth, college success, and professional development. An entire chapter (Chapter 2) helps students overcome speech anxiety by providing them with specific strategies for delivering speeches with confidence.- In-depth coverage of business presentations (Chapter 16), as well as speech excerpts from business professionals throughout the text, reinforce the message that students will use public speaking skills on the job. In addition, Real World Perspective boxes--interviews with business leaders--offer practical insights into the value of public speaking from the classroom to the boardroom.- A focus on critical thinking skills and ethical issues helps students evaluate and address the challenges and choices they face in the speech-making process. Critical Check-points throughout each chapter encourage students to think critically about concepts they have learned. A full chapter (Chapter 4) frames ethical considerations in public speaking, and Focus on Ethics boxes highlight issues such as hate speech and plagiarism.