# Is "Biophilia" by E. O. Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Biophilia by E. O. Wilson (Harvard University Press, 1984) is identified by: Harvard University Press first printing, 1984; quarter blue and off-white cloth, gilt-lettered front board and spine; pictorial dust jacket with printed price; no statement of a later printing. US true first, Harvard University Press.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harvard University Press first printing, 1984; quarter blue and off-white cloth, gilt-lettered front board and spine; pictorial dust jacket with printed price; no statement of a later printing
- Roughly 176 pages
- Publisher imprint reads Harvard University Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E. O. Wilson |
| Publisher | Harvard University Press |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harvard University Press first printing, 1984; quarter blue and off-white cloth… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harvard University Press first printing, 1984; quarter blue and off-white cloth, gilt-lettered front board and spine; pictorial dust jacket with printed price; no statement of a later printing. Roughly 176 pages.

## Is this the true first?
US true first, Harvard University Press.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Biophilia* by E. O. Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/biophilia
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.