The points of issue
Cloth-backed boards; copyright page states 'First edition, 2001' with a complete number line; first-state dust jacket priced and not clipped.
Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux (New York) is the true first (ISBN 0-374-19963-9), published May 2001. Won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 2002.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club concern; identify the first by the FSG 'First edition, 2001' statement and intact number line.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Cloth-backed boards; copyright page states 'First edition, 2001' with a complete number line; first-state dust jacket priced and not clipped.
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 Farrar, Straus and Giroux (New York) is the true first (ISBN 0-374-19963-9), published May 2001. Won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 2002.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No significant book-club concern; identify the first by the FSG 'First edition, 2001' statement and intact number line.
I have a first edition of The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America — 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.