The points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Edition' AND retains the number line beginning at 2 (Random House convention: 'First Edition' present together with the lowest number being 2 indicates the first printing). Quarto in kelly-green cloth boards with gilt spine lettering and blindstamped author initials to the front cover; M.C. Escher-illustrated endpapers; 263 pp. First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap; cover painting by Don Davis.
Is this the true first?
The US Random House edition is the true first, preceding any UK edition. The book won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. Signed copies carry no precedence over the trade first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club editions lack the front-flap printed price (a blindstamped dot or square appears on the lower rear board) and do not follow the Random House first-printing convention. The combination of the stated 'First Edition' and the number line beginning at 2, plus the priced jacket, identifies the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page states 'First Edition' AND retains the number line beginning at 2 (Random House convention: 'First Edition' present together with the lowest number being 2 indicates the first printing). Quarto in kelly-green cloth boards with gilt spine lettering and blindstamped author initials to the front cover; M.C. Escher-illustrated endpapers; 263 pp. First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap; cover painting by Don Davis.
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 US Random House edition is the true first, preceding any UK edition. The book won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. Signed copies carry no precedence over the trade first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-of-the-Month Club editions lack the front-flap printed price (a blindstamped dot or square appears on the lower rear board) and do not follow the Random House first-printing convention. The combination of the stated 'First Edition' and the number line beginning at 2, plus the priced jacket, identifies the true first.
I have a first edition of The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence — 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.