Books available from PRMuseum Press

Crystallizing Public Opinion: One Hundredth Anniversary Edition
By Edward L. Bernays, 1923. Annotated edition 2023 | Buy now

The book that launched public relations 100 years ago now comes in an edition that is more than a reprint. Fully annotated, lavishly illustrated, and with more than a dozen essays by noted PR scholars it picks up where Bernays left off. See what practitioners and academics have to say about this 100th Anniversary edition (6:29).

By Edward L. Bernays. Annotations by Dick Martin. Field Notes by: Karla K. Gower, PhD; Krishnamurthy Sriramesh, PhD; Alex Sévigny PhD and Martin Waxman; Jude William R. Genilo, PhD; Alex Sévigny, PhD and Martin Waxman; Rita Men, PhD; James E. Grunig, PhD; Jeffrey S. Morosoff; Ivanka Pjesivac, PhD; Rachel Kovacs, PhD; Burton St. John III; Kathy R. Fitzpatrick; Hilary Fussell Sisco, PhD and Joe Stabb, PhD; Anthony D’Angelo; Timothy L. Howard, EdD and Tyler Smith; Tom Martin; Cayce Myers, PhD; Brenda Wrigley, PhD, and David W. Brown.

Marilyn: A Woman In Charge chronicles the ascent of Marilyn Laurie, a self-described “little Jewish girl from the Bronx” from a volunteer who helped start Earth Day to advisor in the corridors of power of a great American company. It illustrates the life of a woman in charge, through days of heady highs and humbling lows with grace and resilience.

Ofield: The Autobiography of Public Relations Man Ofield Dukes
With Rochelle L. Ford, Ph.D. and Rev. Unnia L. Pettus, Ph.D. | Buy now

Ofield is the autobiography of Ofield Dukes, one of the nation's most influential African-American public relations pioneers. Penned before his death in 2011 and edited in 2017, it follows his career through many firsts as he counseled Civil Rights leaders, politicians, performers, governments and corporations.

Courtier to the Crowd
By Ray Eldon Hiebert | Buy now

Courtier to the Crowd is the biography of public relations pioneer Ivy Ledbetter Lee. Lee tore away the insulation of the "corporate veil" from the acts of some of the greatest corporations in the world and allowed the press and public to become acquainted with the facts. His techniques eventually became known as the practice of public relations.

Mr. Lee's Publicity Book: A Citizen's Guide to Public Relations
Ivy Ledbetter Lee with Burton St. John III, Ph.D. | Buy now

Mr. Lee's Publicity Book: A Citizen's Guide to Public Relations is Lee's only known full-length manuscript. Written in 1928, discovered in 2016, and annotated by Burton St. John III, Ph.D. in 2017, it advises how to differentiate between publicity and reality, propaganda and truth. Includes commentary from prominent scholars and historians.

Other books PR people read and recommend

Propaganda Technique in the World War
By Harold D. Laswell, 1938 | Buy paperback | Buy Kindle edition

Written by one of the leading political scientists of the 20th century, this book was one of the first deep analyses of the techniques and the and effects of war propaganda on the public. Laswell is credited with creating the procedure of content analysis, which in this study led to some striking conclusions. For example, he showed that war propaganda has to be pervasive in all aspects of the citizen's life to be effective. (Book cover may be different than shown)

How We Advertised America
By George Creel, 1920 | Buy paperback | Buy Kindle edition | Buy hardcover

The leader of the Committee on Public Information, America’s propaganda effort to win public support for World War I, provides an insider’s perspective on the effort. (Book cover may be different than shown).

Managing Public Realtions
By James E. Grunig and Todd Hunt, 1984 | Buy hardcover

Probably the best textbook on public relations since Bernays’s Crystallizing Public Opinion, it covers all the basics from the definition of the practice to its application in different cases. It introduces the concept of four models for the practice: publicity, public information, two-way asymmetric communication, and two-way symmetric communication. (Book cover may be different than shown).

The Unseen Power
By Scott Cutlip, 1994 | Buy paperback | Buy hardcover | Buy Kindle Edition

This was the first detailed history of public relations from 1900 through the 1960s. The author had access to the personal papers of Ivy L. Lee, John W. Hill, Earl Newsom, and others as well as extensive interviews with Pendleton Dudley, T.J. Ross, Edward L. Bernays, Harry Bruno, William Baldwin, and more. The book provides a realistic inside view of the way PR has developed and been practiced in the United States since its beginnings. (Book cover may be different than shown).

The Business of Persuasion: Harold Burson on Public Relations
By Harold Burson, 2020 | Buy hardcover

In this memoir, Harold Burson traces his journey from Ole Miss to WWII, the Nuremberg trials, and co-founding one of the world’s largest PR firms. Through stories like the Tylenol crisis and New Coke, he shares timeless lessons in crisis management, making this a must-read for PR professionals. (Book cover may be different than shown)

A New Age of Reason: Harnessing the Power of Tech for Good
By Larry Weber, 2024 | Buy hardcover | Buy Kindle edition | Buy audio CD

A New Age of Reason: Harnessing the Power of Tech for Good outlines how AI/robotics, sensors, and quantum computing can tackle urgent global challenges like climate change and hunger. It shares company case studies, offers a clear playbook for leaders to embed “tech for good” into strategy, marketing, C‑suite structure, and impact measurement. Foreword by David Kirkpatrick

PR! The Social History of Spin
By Stuart Ewen, 1996 | Buy hardcover | Buy paperback

Despite its tacky subtitle, Hunter College communication professor Stuart Ewen offers a history of public relations that is largely accurate in its historic facts if a bit overwrought in its interpretations. He accurately reviews the conflict between those who think the public is rational and those who think opinions can be shaped by appeals to unconscious urges. And in one fascinating example, he tries to explain why the AT&T of the early 20th century was loved by the public and Standard Oil hated. (Book cover may be different than shown).

The Father of Spin
By Larry Tye, 2002 | Buy paperback | Buy hardcover | Buy Kindle edition

Further exploiting“spin” as a euphemism for “public relations,” journalist Larry Tye has written an engrossing and revealing biography of Edward Bernays, based in large part on interviews with primary sources, including his daughter Anne who provides details about the man’s family life and relationship with his wife and business partner, Doris E. Fleischman. (Book cover may be different than shown).

Public Relations for the Public Good
By Louis Capozzi and Shelley Spector, 2016 | Buy paperback | Buy Kindle edition

While the profession of public relations is only a century old, man has been practicing the art of influencing public attitudes since the dawn of civilization. This book looks at modern America through the lens of public relations, showing how many of the events that have changed the course of our nation’s modern history were triggered by campaigns to influence attitudes. (Book cover may be different than shown).

Public Relations History: Theory, Practice, and Profession
By Cayce Myers, 2020 | Buy paperback | Buy hardcover | Buy Kindle Edition

This book presents a unique overview of public relations history, tracing the development of the profession and its practices in a variety of sectors, ranging from politics, education, social movements, and corporate communication to entertainment. It examines the institutional pressures, including financial, legal, and ethical considerations, that have shaped the practice, exploring the role that underrepresented groups and sectors (both in the U.S. and internationally) played in its formation. (Book cover may be different than shown).

Campaigns Inc.: Leone Baxter, Clem Whitaker, and the Invention of Political Consulting
By Cayce Myers, 2025 | Buy hardcover | Buy Kindle edition

Set amid California’s political upheavals (1930s–1950s), Campaigns Inc. traces how Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker founded the first political consulting firm, shaping modern campaigns. Their PR tactics helped defeat Upton Sinclair, elect Earl Warren, and fight health care reform as “socialized medicine.” (Book cover may be different than shown).

Tough Calls: AT&T and the Hard Lessons Learned in the Telecom Wars
By Dick Martin, 2004 | Buy hardcover | Buy Kindle edition

Admittedly written by the chair of the PRMuseum’s board of trustees, Paul Holmes still named it one of the five best books about PR written in the first decade of the 21st century, He also said, “it might be the most honest insider’s account of high-pressure public relations ever committed to paper” and “by far the best book about the realities of working in corporate communications for a large American corporation.” And who are we to argue with Paul Holmes? (Book cover may be different than shown).

Betsy Ann Plank: The Making of a Public Relations Icon
By Karla K. Gower, 2022 | Buy hardcover | Buy Kindle edition

In 1973, Betsy Ann Plank became PRSA’s first woman chair amid post-Watergate turmoil. Overcoming gender barriers in a male-dominated field, she held top roles at Edelman, AT&T, and Illinois Bell. A mentor and pioneer, Plank championed PR education—her lasting legacy—through a 63-year trailblazing career. (Book cover may be different than shown).

Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership
By Barry Spector and Shelley Spector. Foreword by Harold Burson, 2018 | Buy paperback | Buy Kindle edition

Diverse Voices shares candid interviews with minority leaders in PR, exploring their challenges, successes, and lessons learned. Published by PRSA Foundation and the Museum of PR, it's a vital resource for students, educators, and managers seeking to foster inclusion across agencies and organizations. (Book cover may be different than shown).

Words on Fire: The Power of Incendiary Language and How to Confront It
By Helio Fred Garcia, 2020 | Buy paperback | Buy Kindle edition

Words on Fire by Helio Fred Garcia explores how Trump’s rhetoric echoes patterns that historically precede mass violence. Using all 12 tactics seen in genocides, his language incites lone wolves. Garcia reframes “stochastic terrorism” as “lone-wolf whistle violence” and calls for accountability and civic action. (Book cover may be different than shown).

Our Future in Public Relations
By Ken Kerrigan, 2020 | Buy paperback | Buy Kindle edition

In a time of fake news, media disruption, and data-driven messaging, Our Future in Public Relations asks: Does PR still matter? Aimed at communications pros, it explores PR’s evolving role—whether it’s mere marketing or a vital force for trust, purpose, and truth in an increasingly chaotic information age. (Book cover may be different than shown).

Public Relations and the History of Ideas
by Simon Moore, 2015, First Edition | Buy paperback | Buy hardcover | Buy Kindle Edition
This book explores ten influential works—from war to spirituality—that shaped public communication before PR was a profession. Each reveals the power of planned messaging and its moral impact. A must-read for PR scholars and anyone studying communication, society, or the roots of public influence. (Book cover may be different than shown).