# Is "River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life" by Richard Dawkins a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life by Richard Dawkins (Basic Books / Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1995) is identified by: UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition: part of the 'Science Masters' series; jacket with its printed price sterling. Both the UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson and the US Basic Books editions appeared in 1995 as part of the international Science Masters series; the UK edition is generally regarded as the true first, though the interval is short.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition: part of the 'Science Masters' series; jacket with its printed price sterling
- US Basic Books edition: copyright page reading 'First Edition' with a number line including the digit 1; jacket carries the printed price
- Illustrated by Lalla Ward
- Publisher imprint reads Basic Books / Weidenfeld & Nicolson
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Dawkins |
| Publisher | Basic Books / Weidenfeld & Nicolson |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition: part of the 'Science Masters' series; jacket with its printed price sterling |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition: part of the 'Science Masters' series; jacket with its printed price sterling. US Basic Books edition: copyright page reading 'First Edition' with a number line including the digit 1; jacket carries the printed price. Illustrated by Lalla Ward.

## Is this the true first?
Both the UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson and the US Basic Books editions appeared in 1995 as part of the international Science Masters series; the UK edition is generally regarded as the true first, though the interval is short. Confirm priority by imprint and jacket pricing rather than year alone.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue of note. The key distinction is UK-first versus US-first within the same year, identified by the Weidenfeld imprint and a sterling-priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life* by Richard Dawkins a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/river-out-of-eden-a-darwinian-view-of-life
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.