Book excerpt: Introduction to Public Relations and Advertising introduces the reader to the basics of public relations and advertising in a single textbook. Topics include the functions, effects, and critical issues of public relations as well as the history of advertising and its relationship to marketing. The unit on advertising covers theoretical models, advertising campaigns and critical research issues. Introduction to Public Relations and Advertising is used by the Department of Communication at the university of South Africa and will prove invaluable for other students of communication as well as practitioners who need to reflect on the fundamentals of public relations and advertising.