The points of issue
Black cloth; copyright page states 'First edition, 1998'; first-state dust jacket with price present. Omnibus collecting the geology tetralogy (Basin and Range; In Suspect Terrain; Rising from the Plains; Assembling California) plus the new section Crossing the Craton.
Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux true first of the combined omnibus. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1999.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add a printing/number statement to the copyright page; the true first carries only the stated 'First edition, 1998'.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Annals of the Former World a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Black cloth; copyright page states 'First edition, 1998'; first-state dust jacket with price present. Omnibus collecting the geology tetralogy (Basin and Range; In Suspect Terrain; Rising from the Plains; Assembling California) plus the new section Crossing the Craton.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Farrar, Straus and Giroux true first of the combined omnibus. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1999.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add a printing/number statement to the copyright page; the true first carries only the stated 'First edition, 1998'.
I have a first edition of Annals of the Former World — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.