Interpersonal Communication
by Ronald B. Adler, Neil Towne · Adler
Adler and Towne's classic textbook, formally titled Looking Out/Looking In, works through identity, perception, language, listening, emotions, and conflict. Exercises push readers to examine recorded conversations of their own and identify defensive or supportive patterns.
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More resources on Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal Communication
Wharton professor Maurice Schweitzer's four-week course on cooperation, trust, deception, and persuasion in professional settings. Learners finish able to build trusting relationships, detect deception, construct apologies, and choose media that fit a given message.
Nonverbal Communication
Academic survey of nonverbal research covering proxemics, physical appearance, gesture, touch, facial expression, eye behaviour and vocal cues, plus methods for observing and coding behaviour. Gives readers the empirical grounding behind popular claims about body language.
10 ways to have a better conversation | Celeste Headlee
Radio journalist Celeste Headlee's TED talk drawing on years of interviewing: don't multitask, ask open-ended questions, let go of your own anecdotes, admit ignorance. Applies directly to audience Q&A and on-stage interviews.
HelpGuide.org
An article from the nonprofit HelpGuide, written by therapist Jeanne Segal and colleagues, covering active listening, nonverbal signals, stress regulation during conflict, and assertiveness. Readers get named techniques they can practice in difficult conversations at home or work.
Messages: Building Interpersonal Skills
DeVito's undergraduate textbook covering perception, listening, verbal and nonverbal codes, relationship stages, and conflict management. Each chapter pairs communication theory with skill exercises, so readers can analyze their own interactions and practice more deliberate responses.
Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters
Julia Wood's textbook grounds interpersonal theory in daily life, covering self-concept, perception, listening, emotion, and communication climates across friendships, romance, family, and workplaces. Readers gain vocabulary for diagnosing why specific conversations succeed or break down.