# Is "Promethean Fire: Reflections on the Origin of Mind" by E. O. Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Promethean Fire: Reflections on the Origin of Mind by E. O. Wilson (Harvard University Press, 1983) is identified by: Harvard University Press first printing, 1983; cloth in priced dust jacket; co-authored with Charles J. US true first (Harvard University Press, 1983), co-authored with Charles J.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harvard University Press first printing, 1983; cloth in priced dust jacket; co-authored with Charles J. Lumsden; first printing shows matching title-page and copyright dates with no prior-printing statement
- Illustrated by Whitney Powell
- Publisher imprint reads Harvard University Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E. O. Wilson |
| Publisher | Harvard University Press |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harvard University Press first printing, 1983; cloth in priced dust jacket; co-authored… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harvard University Press first printing, 1983; cloth in priced dust jacket; co-authored with Charles J. Lumsden; first printing shows matching title-page and copyright dates with no prior-printing statement. Illustrated by Whitney Powell.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (Harvard University Press, 1983), co-authored with Charles J. Lumsden. Subtitle also appears as Reflections on the Origin of the Mind.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Promethean Fire: Reflections on the Origin of Mind* by E. O. Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/promethean-fire-reflections-on-the-origin-of-mind
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.