The points of issue
Viking Press, New York, 1974. Bound in quarter blue cloth over green boards. First printing has no added later-printing statement on the copyright page; first-state dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap (later printings and reprints differ). Essays first appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Is this the true first?
US Viking (New York) is the true first. Won a 1975 National Book Award. Multiple 1974 printings exist, so confirm the copyright page carries no later-printing notice.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club reprints lack the original flap price and may carry a blind-stamp to the rear board; check the copyright page for any added printing statement to separate them from the trade first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Viking Press, New York, 1974. Bound in quarter blue cloth over green boards. First printing has no added later-printing statement on the copyright page; first-state dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap (later printings and reprints differ). Essays first appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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 Viking (New York) is the true first. Won a 1975 National Book Award. Multiple 1974 printings exist, so confirm the copyright page carries no later-printing notice.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club reprints lack the original flap price and may carry a blind-stamp to the rear board; check the copyright page for any added printing statement to separate them from the trade first.
I have a first edition of The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher — 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.