# Is "From So Simple a Beginning: The Four Great Books of Charles Darwin" by E. O. Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of From So Simple a Beginning: The Four Great Books of Charles Darwin by E. O. Wilson (W. W. Norton, 2006) is identified by: Norton first printing with the number line ending in 1. US true first (W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Norton first printing with the number line ending in 1
- Wilson edited the volume and supplied the introductions, afterword and index; issued as a thick single volume, often in a publisher slipcase
- First-thus for the Wilson-edited compilation of Darwin's four works
- Publisher imprint reads W. W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E. O. Wilson |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Norton first printing with the number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Norton first printing with the number line ending in 1. Wilson edited the volume and supplied the introductions, afterword and index; issued as a thick single volume, often in a publisher slipcase. First-thus for the Wilson-edited compilation of Darwin's four works.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (W. W. Norton); first-thus, as Wilson edited and introduced this Darwin omnibus (some sources date the release late 2005 / 2006).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No BCE; identify by the Norton copyright-page statement and number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *From So Simple a Beginning: The Four Great Books of Charles Darwin* by E. O. Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/from-so-simple-a-beginning-the-four-great-books-of-charles-d
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.