# Is "The Lives of Rocks" by Rick Bass a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Lives of Rocks by Rick Bass (Houghton Mifflin, 2006) is identified by: Houghton Mifflin (Boston) hardcover first edition, 2006, with the full number line present and ending in 1; issued in dust jacket. True first US edition of this story collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Houghton Mifflin (Boston) hardcover first edition, 2006, with the full number line present and ending in 1; issued in dust jacket
- Collection of ten stories (ISBN 0-618-59674-7)
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rick Bass |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Houghton Mifflin (Boston) hardcover first edition, 2006, with the full number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Houghton Mifflin (Boston) hardcover first edition, 2006, with the full number line present and ending in 1; issued in dust jacket. Collection of ten stories (ISBN 0-618-59674-7).

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition of this story collection.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition concern for the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Lives of Rocks* by Rick Bass a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-lives-of-rocks
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.