The points of issue
Quarter black cloth over brown cloth boards, gilt spine lettering; 424pp; illustrated with color plates plus full-page and in-text black-and-white drawings and photographs; first printing with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; first-state jacket retains its price.
Is this the true first?
US Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (Cambridge) 1992 is the true first edition (ISBN 0-674-21298-3). The W. W. Norton paperback is a later, separate issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Verify the copyright page for added printing statements to confirm a first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Diversity of Life a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Quarter black cloth over brown cloth boards, gilt spine lettering; 424pp; illustrated with color plates plus full-page and in-text black-and-white drawings and photographs; first printing with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; first-state jacket retains its 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 Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (Cambridge) 1992 is the true first edition (ISBN 0-674-21298-3). The W. W. Norton paperback is a later, separate issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Verify the copyright page for added printing statements to confirm a first printing.
I have a first edition of The Diversity of Life — 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.