# Is "Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life" by Stephen Jay Gould a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life by Stephen Jay Gould (Ballantine / Library of Contemporary Thought, 1999) is identified by: Ballantine Publishing Group, New York, 1999, issued in the Library of Contemporary Thought series. US Ballantine edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ballantine Publishing Group, New York, 1999, issued in the Library of Contemporary Thought series
- First edition, first printing has the number line reading to 1, ISBN 0-345-43009-3, and a priced first-issue jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine / Library of Contemporary Thought
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen Jay Gould |
| Publisher | Ballantine / Library of Contemporary Thought |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ballantine Publishing Group, New York, 1999, issued in the Library of Contemporary… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Ballantine Publishing Group, New York, 1999, issued in the Library of Contemporary Thought series. First edition, first printing has the number line reading to 1, ISBN 0-345-43009-3, and a priced first-issue jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine edition is the true first.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life* by Stephen Jay Gould a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/rocks-of-ages-science-and-religion-in-the-fullness-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 2026-07-03.