Book excerpt: An understanding of intercultural communication is essential in an increasingly global society. In The Essential Guide to Intercultural Communication, Professor and scholar Jennifer Willis-Rivers uses lively contemporary examples to explore the impact culture has on communication from the way we construct our personal identities; to how the media represents culture; to how we communicate with family, romantic partners, and colleges. Designed to complement a wide variety of courses, this guide offers instructors a flexible option wherever coverage of intercultural communication is needed. Book jacket.