# Is "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (Houghton Mifflin, 2001) is identified by: First edition, first printing: Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2001, with the full number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (the '1' present) on the copyright page and the 2001 date. US Houghton Mifflin 2001 is the true first, preceding the UK Allen Lane/Penguin edition (which carries a differently worded subtitle).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2001, with the full number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (the '1' present) on the copyright page and the 2001 date
- Full title 'Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.' First-issue dust jacket retains its printed price to the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Eric Schlosser |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2001, with the full number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (the '1' present) on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2001, with the full number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (the '1' present) on the copyright page and the 2001 date. Full title 'Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.' First-issue dust jacket retains its printed price to the flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin 2001 is the true first, preceding the UK Allen Lane/Penguin edition (which carries a differently worded subtitle). Verify the full number line ending in 1 and the 2001 date on the copyright page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the full number line ending in 1, are on thinner bulk paper, and carry an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Fast Food Nation* by Eric Schlosser a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/fast-food-nation
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.