The points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Edition' (Knopf convention). ISBN 0-394-41244-3; thick octavo; first-issue jacket carries the printed price.
Is this the true first?
The US Knopf edition is the true first. The book won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club copies lack the jacket price, bear a rear-board blindstamp, and omit the 'First Edition' statement. The stated 'First Edition' plus the printed-price Knopf jacket identify the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page states 'First Edition' (Knopf convention). ISBN 0-394-41244-3; thick octavo; first-issue jacket carries the printed price.
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. The US Knopf edition is the true first. The book won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-of-the-Month Club copies lack the jacket price, bear a rear-board blindstamp, and omit the 'First Edition' statement. The stated 'First Edition' plus the printed-price Knopf jacket identify the first.
I have a first edition of Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families — 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.