The basics of effective communication -- Communication : words are not enough -- Think before you speak : the verbal component -- Actions speak louder than words : nonverbal communication -- Preparing for effective communication -- Grammar : a lesson in the basics -- Preparing to speak : presentations and visual aids -- Effective communication in your professional sphere -- Written communication : an agency's lifeline -- Interviewing and interrogating: witnesses and suspects -- The court system : preparing for and testifying in court -- Technology and communication : a new frontier -- Conflict resolution and other special forms of communication -- Effective communication with different populations -- Communication with diverse populations : ethnic/cultural groups and children and youth -- Communication with special groups : cognitive, physiological, psychological, and emotional disabilities -- Endnotes -- About the authors.