# Is "The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory" by Brian Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene (W. W. Norton & Company, 1999) is identified by: Norton first edition, 1999, ISBN 0-393-04688-5. The US Norton edition is the true first, preceding the UK Jonathan Cape edition (1999).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US W. W. Norton first edition, 1999, ISBN 0-393-04688-5
- The first printing is identified by the full Norton number line on the copyright page running 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 (the presence of the 1 marks the first printing)
- Cloth-bound hardcover, illustrated, with notes, glossary and index; the first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads W. W. Norton & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Brian Greene |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US W. W. Norton first edition, 1999, ISBN 0-393-04688-5 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US W. W. Norton first edition, 1999, ISBN 0-393-04688-5. The first printing is identified by the full Norton number line on the copyright page running 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 (the presence of the 1 marks the first printing). Cloth-bound hardcover, illustrated, with notes, glossary and index; the first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Norton edition is the true first, preceding the UK Jonathan Cape edition (1999). A later Vintage paperback issued 'with a new preface' is a separate 'first thus.'

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club issue. Distinguish from later Norton printings (the number line no longer begins with 1) and from the UK Cape first. The full ascending number line beginning with 1, plus a printed-price jacket, identify the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory* by Brian Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-elegant-universe-superstrings-hidden-dimensions-and-the
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.