The points of issue
First edition in cloth-backed boards with the Harper & Row FIRST EDITION statement and the publisher number line on the copyright page; first-issue dust jacket carries the original price.
Is this the true first?
US Harper & Row (New York) is the true first, 1982.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Confirm the FIRST EDITION statement and intact number line; book-club issues lack the jacket price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition in cloth-backed boards with the Harper & Row FIRST EDITION statement and the publisher number line on the copyright page; first-issue dust jacket carries the original price.
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 Harper & Row (New York) is the true first, 1982.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Confirm the FIRST EDITION statement and intact number line; book-club issues lack the jacket price.
I have a first edition of Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters — 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.