The debate over whether public relations is an art or science is ongoing, but all agree that the final goal in managing communications is to maintain a positive image. PR, both internal and external to any organization, is everyone's job. The following list is an overview of books available on public relations that includes basic titles for newcomers to the study, in addition to selections that demonstrate the changing facets of public relations.

PR 101
Public relations is strictly considered an invention of the United States. PR is seen emerging in great historical moments, as with the railroads in the late 1800s. World War I propaganda metamorphosed into the PR of peacetime. The tobacco industry used public persuasion to court women smokers in the 1920s. Comprehensive texts like Effective Public Relations and The Practice of Public Relations, in their ninth and 10th editions respectively, indicate the appeal of this subject matter. Dan Lattimore covers the theories and responsibilities of the occupation in Public Relations: The Practice and the Profession. Case studies and managerial problems are the topics of Allen Center and Patrick Jackson in Public Relations Practices. These serve only as a sampling of the numerous mainstay titles currently in print.

PR Toolkit
Spindoctors and spin have been newsworthy. Moving off grassroots and onto the AstroTurf demands a new toolkit to keep in step with the speed of change. The tools represent different venues of PR. Public Relations Writing is by Thomas Bivins. Gene Zelazny gives executives a guide to visual communication in Say It with Charts. Event Planning is the ultimate guide to successful meetings, conferences, conventions, galas and other events according to Judy Allen. Number manipulation is the subject matter of Econospinning by Gene Epstein. Michael Bland focuses on getting results in Effective Media Relations. A lifelong learning mindset is critical in this field.

Advancing technology and global PR
When communication is merged with technology, there are dramatic consequences. Consider for example, how the Internet has allowed for today's "optimized press release." Naked Conversations covers how blogs are changing the way businesses talk to their customers. Martin Wolf addresses "our incredible shrinking planet" in Why Globalization Works. The way local business can compete globally is the focus of this year's Small-Mart Revolution. Cavanagh and Mander believe a better world is possible in Alternatives to Economic Globalization. The Flight of the Creative Class and Global Competition are scheduled for release this month. Like it or not, global is IT!

Bestselling PR
Some public relations books go mainstream and achieve great success as bestsellers as demonstrated by The Tipping Point. Malcolm Gladwell speaks to the phenomenon of word of mouth as a powerful force in PR.  Judith Hoffman wrote Keeping Cool in the Hot Seat and offers advice on what to do before you find yourself there. A compatible companion read to Hoffman is Risk Issues and Crisis Management.  Never Eat Alone, a 2005 release, has wide readership. In it Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz name the secrets to success one relationship at a time. Prior to that there was the savvy socialization suggestions of How to Work a Room, although this may be too contrived, as was the case with The Little Black Book of Connections. The more discriminating may look to Susan Harrow for tips on how to sell yourself without selling your soul. The choices run the gambit from a PR Kit for Dummies to Guerrilla PR Wired.

Ultimately, whether you see it as putting on your game face or hear it as Fosse's "It's show time!" Tony Jeary may sum it up best in Life is a Series of Presentations. Take I to the third power—INFORM … INFLUENCE … INSPIRE.

		A veteran of the publishing industry, Sandra Guinness Lupini is a freelance writer.