# Is "The Meaning of Human Existence" by E. O. Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Meaning of Human Existence by E. O. Wilson (Liveright / W. W. Norton, 2014) is identified by: Norton) first printing, identified by a complete Norton number line with 1 present; issued in quarter black cloth over boards with a priced dust jacket. US Liveright/Norton edition is the true first (published October 2014).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Liveright (W. W. Norton) first printing, identified by a complete Norton number line with 1 present; issued in quarter black cloth over boards with a priced dust jacket
- Verified first-edition ISBN 978-0-87140-100-7
- Publisher imprint reads Liveright / W. W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E. O. Wilson |
| Publisher | Liveright / W. W. Norton |
| Year | 2014 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Liveright (W. W. Norton) first printing, identified by a complete Norton number line with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Liveright (W. W. Norton) first printing, identified by a complete Norton number line with 1 present; issued in quarter black cloth over boards with a priced dust jacket. Verified first-edition ISBN 978-0-87140-100-7.

## Is this the true first?
US Liveright/Norton edition is the true first (published October 2014).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book club edition; Liveright/Norton literary nonfiction of this period was not book-club distributed.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Meaning of Human Existence* by E. O. Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-meaning-of-human-existence
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.