# Is "Oaxaca Journal" by Oliver Sacks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Oaxaca Journal by Oliver Sacks (National Geographic Society, 2002) is identified by: First edition is the National Geographic Society hardcover in the National Geographic Directions series, dated 2002 on the title/copyright page, with the National Geographic Society imprint and jacket price present. US true first is the National Geographic Society (Directions series) hardcover of 2002.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition is the National Geographic Society hardcover in the National Geographic Directions series, dated 2002 on the title/copyright page, with the National Geographic Society imprint and jacket price present
- A slim travel volume
- Publisher imprint reads National Geographic Society
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Oliver Sacks |
| Publisher | National Geographic Society |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition is the National Geographic Society hardcover in the National Geographic… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition is the National Geographic Society hardcover in the National Geographic Directions series, dated 2002 on the title/copyright page, with the National Geographic Society imprint and jacket price present. A slim travel volume.

## Is this the true first?
US true first is the National Geographic Society (Directions series) hardcover of 2002. The Vintage edition is a later reprint, not the first.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Oaxaca Journal* by Oliver Sacks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/oaxaca-journal
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.