# Is "The Nature of Generosity" by William Kittredge a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Nature of Generosity by William Kittredge (Alfred A. Knopf, 2000) is identified by: Knopf, New York, dated 2000 (ISBN 0-679-43752-5), with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page above a descending number line ending in 1, in the Borzoi Books house style. True first US; there is no earlier printing, and the stated 'First Edition' with the intact number line identifies the first printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf, New York, dated 2000 (ISBN 0-679-43752-5), with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page above a descending number line ending in 1, in the Borzoi Books house style
- Issued in a priced dust jacket; the printed jacket price should be present
- This is Kittredge's book-length meditation, not a novel
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Kittredge |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf, New York, dated 2000 (ISBN 0-679-43752-5), with 'First Edition' stated… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf, New York, dated 2000 (ISBN 0-679-43752-5), with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page above a descending number line ending in 1, in the Borzoi Books house style. Issued in a priced dust jacket; the printed jacket price should be present. This is Kittredge's book-length meditation, not a novel.

## Is this the true first?
True first US; there is no earlier printing, and the stated 'First Edition' with the intact number line identifies the first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is a concern for the stated Knopf first; simply confirm the 'First Edition' statement and that the number line still descends to 1. Later Vintage/Knopf trade-paperback issues use a different ISBN and are not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Nature of Generosity* by William Kittredge a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-nature-of-generosity
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.