Communication - a network of meanings in which humans engage in endless interpretative, symbolic, and relational processes - is a complex object of study which requires an interdisciplinary approach. This volume addresses the vast topic of communication from a new theoretical standpoint, which is both specific (in that it distinguishes communication from other similar conceptual categories, such as behaviour, relationship, and interaction) and comprehensive (in that it explores communicational phenomenon in their entirety and variety). Therefore the book represents a unique tool, for students as well as other readers who, for professional or personal reasons, want to understand and be able to use the infinite resources and opportunities that human communication provides.

Contents: Introduction - Part One: Preliminaries - 1. Historical and Theoretical Relevance of Communication - 2. Evolution of Communication - 3. Neuropsychology of Communication - 4. Culture and Communication - 5. Development of Communication among Children - Part Two: Fundamentals - 6. Communication and Meaning - 7. Intention and Communication - 8. Non-verbal Communication - 9. Discourse and Conversation - Part Three: Applications - 10. Miscommunication and Pathological Communication - 11. Communication in and among Groups - 12. Mass media and Communication - 13. Communication and New Media - Bibliography - Indices.

Luigi Anolli teaches Psychology of Communication at the Catholic University of Milan.