The points of issue
Large oblong quarto; cloth boards; profusely illustrated with line drawings by Sarah Landry and halftones; 697pp; copyright page shows 1975 with no later-printing statement; first-state jacket retains its price. Notable for the controversial final chapter applying sociobiology to human behavior.
Is this the true first?
US Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (Cambridge) 1975 is the true first edition. The 1980 abridged edition and the 2000 twenty-fifth-anniversary edition are separate, later issues.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club issue; reprints are identified by added printing statements on the copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Sociobiology: The New Synthesis a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Large oblong quarto; cloth boards; profusely illustrated with line drawings by Sarah Landry and halftones; 697pp; copyright page shows 1975 with no later-printing statement; first-state jacket retains its price. Notable for the controversial final chapter applying sociobiology to human behavior.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (Cambridge) 1975 is the true first edition. The 1980 abridged edition and the 2000 twenty-fifth-anniversary edition are separate, later issues.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No significant book-club issue; reprints are identified by added printing statements on the copyright page.
I have a first edition of Sociobiology: The New Synthesis — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.