# Is "A Continuous Harmony: Essays Cultural and Agricultural" by Wendell Berry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Continuous Harmony: Essays Cultural and Agricultural by Wendell Berry (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972) is identified by: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich first printing, 1972; rust-colored cloth over boards with white-stamped spine title and orange topstain; Berry's second essay collection, including 'Think Little' and 'Discipline and Hope.' The precise first-issue dust-jacket price is not confirmed by reliable sources, so no jacket price is asserted. True first US; Berry's second collection of essays.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harcourt Brace Jovanovich first printing, 1972; rust-colored cloth over boards with white-stamped spine title and orange topstain
- Berry's second essay collection, including 'Think Little' and 'Discipline and Hope.' The precise first-issue dust-jacket price is not confirmed by reliable sources, so no jacket price is asserted
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wendell Berry |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich first printing, 1972; rust-colored cloth over boards with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich first printing, 1972; rust-colored cloth over boards with white-stamped spine title and orange topstain; Berry's second essay collection, including 'Think Little' and 'Discipline and Hope.' The precise first-issue dust-jacket price is not confirmed by reliable sources, so no jacket price is asserted.

## Is this the true first?
True first US; Berry's second collection of essays.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition concern.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Continuous Harmony: Essays Cultural and Agricultural* by Wendell Berry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-continuous-harmony-essays-cultural-and-agricultural
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.