# Is "The Affluent Society" by John Kenneth Galbraith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith (Houghton Mifflin, 1958) is identified by: First edition, first printing: Houghton Mifflin, 1958, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page (Houghton convention). US Houghton Mifflin 1958 is the true first, preceding the UK Hamish Hamilton edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: Houghton Mifflin, 1958, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page (Houghton convention)
- Original cloth and first-issue dust jacket with price
- Later revised editions (1969, 1976, 1984) altered the text and are not the first
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Kenneth Galbraith |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: Houghton Mifflin, 1958, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page (Houghton convention) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: Houghton Mifflin, 1958, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page (Houghton convention). Original cloth and first-issue dust jacket with price. Later revised editions (1969, 1976, 1984) altered the text and are not the first.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin 1958 is the true first, preceding the UK Hamish Hamilton edition. Revised editions are common and textually distinct; only the 1958 'First Printing' is the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the 'First Printing' line, have a blind board indentation, and carry unpriced jackets. Revised-edition reprints state their revision on the title/copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Affluent Society* by John Kenneth Galbraith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-affluent-society
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.