"The book is organized into three main sections. Part I sets the stage, giving a brief conceptual framework for the field of environmental communications. Part II delves into the basics of communication planning. Planning is to communicating what cartography is to travel. If you have a suitable and accurate map, getting there – wherever ‘there’ may be – is much, much more likely to happen. We want you to arrive where you expect. Randomly setting out on a journey without a clear direction can be exciting, but can take you to destinations you would be better to avoid. Part III can be thought of as our toolbox, from which you may select any of many communication competencies. Chapters 10–15 cover skills and applications you need when working directly with people. Successfully interacting with people requires a whole box of tools, which come more naturally to some and not others. These tools range from speaking dynamically to an audience, to understanding why people think and act the way that they do." (Preface, page vii)