# Is "Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife" by Mary Roach a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach (W. W. Norton, 2005) is identified by: Norton first printing (2005, ISBN 9780393059625) is identified by a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page; per Norton's convention there is no separately printed 'First Edition' statement, so the intact number line ending in 1 is the point. US true first (W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- W. W. Norton first printing (2005, ISBN 9780393059625) is identified by a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page; per Norton's convention there is no separately printed 'First Edition' statement, so the intact number line ending in 1 is the point
- First-state boards are grey and black with the spine lettering in red; the first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (unclipped), the presence of the price being the point rather than any figure
- Publisher imprint reads W. W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mary Roach |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | W. W. Norton first printing (2005, ISBN 9780393059625) is identified by a complete number… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
W. W. Norton first printing (2005, ISBN 9780393059625) is identified by a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page; per Norton's convention there is no separately printed 'First Edition' statement, so the intact number line ending in 1 is the point. First-state boards are grey and black with the spine lettering in red; the first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (unclipped), the presence of the price being the point rather than any figure.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (W. W. Norton, 2005). The UK edition was retitled 'Six Feet Over: Adventures in the Afterlife' (Canongate, 2007) and appeared two years later, so it does not compete for priority; the Norton is the unambiguous first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book-club edition; the trade Norton hardcover is the collected first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife* by Mary Roach a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/spook-science-tackles-the-afterlife
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.