# Is "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (W. W. Norton, 1963) is identified by: First edition, first printing: copyright page with 'FIRST EDITION' (Norton period statement) and no later-printing codes. US Norton 1963 is the true first, preceding the UK Victor Gollancz edition (1963).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: copyright page with 'FIRST EDITION' (Norton period statement) and no later-printing codes
- Original dust jacket priced (about the printed price) with the first-issue design
- Issued February 1963
- Publisher imprint reads W. W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Betty Friedan |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: copyright page with 'FIRST EDITION' (Norton period statement) and no later-printing codes |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: copyright page with 'FIRST EDITION' (Norton period statement) and no later-printing codes. Original dust jacket priced (about the printed price) with the first-issue design. Issued February 1963.

## Is this the true first?
US Norton 1963 is the true first, preceding the UK Victor Gollancz edition (1963). Signed Friedan copies are scarce and desirable. Landmark of second-wave feminism.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the 'FIRST EDITION' statement, are slightly smaller, carry a blind board stamp, and have unpriced jackets.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Feminine Mystique* by Betty Friedan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-feminine-mystique
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.