I highly recommend “PR Principles” by Ward and Agozzino. It is designed with today’s college student in mind by clearly and concisely providing all the public relations basics with abundant contemporary examples. For instance, the chapter on ethics outlines the various ethical issues confronting today’s public relations professionals and illustrates each with discussion of recent cases with which students may be familiar. The text also nicely covers how the industry is changing, including the growth of integrated marketing communications and current trends in social media. "PR Principles” can easily stand alone for students who might not take another public relations class, but it also builds a strong foundation for subsequent coursework in the discipline.