# Is "The Curve of Binding Energy" by John McPhee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Curve of Binding Energy by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1974) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux first printing (stated first edition, first printing per dealers), with the price present on the dust jacket. US true first (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux first printing (stated first edition, first printing per dealers), with the price present on the dust jacket
- A profile of physicist Theodore B. Taylor and the danger of illicit nuclear weapons
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John McPhee |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux first printing (stated first edition, first printing per… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux first printing (stated first edition, first printing per dealers), with the price present on the dust jacket. A profile of physicist Theodore B. Taylor and the danger of illicit nuclear weapons.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No known book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Curve of Binding Energy* by John McPhee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-curve-of-binding-energy
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.