The points of issue
Quarter-cloth over boards. Copyright page states First Printing with the Random House colophon; first-state jacket is priced on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
The actual book is The Immense Journey by Loren Eiseley. US Random House (New York, 1957) is the true first edition. Eiseley's classic essay collection.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issue lacks a jacket price and the First Printing statement and may show a blind-stamp on the rear board.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Beautiful Cure — n/a; instead: The Immense Journey a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Quarter-cloth over boards. Copyright page states First Printing with the Random House colophon; first-state jacket is priced on the front flap.
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. The actual book is The Immense Journey by Loren Eiseley. US Random House (New York, 1957) is the true first edition. Eiseley's classic essay collection.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club issue lacks a jacket price and the First Printing statement and may show a blind-stamp on the rear board.
I have a first edition of The Beautiful Cure — n/a; instead: The Immense Journey — 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.