# Is "The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher" by Lewis Thomas a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher by Lewis Thomas (Viking Press, 1974) is identified by: Viking Press, New York, 1974. US Viking (New York) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lewis Thomas |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Viking Press, New York, 1974 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher* by Lewis Thomas a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-lives-of-a-cell-notes-of-a-biology-watcher
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.