# Is "The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death" by Colson Whitehead a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday, 2014) is identified by: Doubleday (New York) first edition, 2014 (ISBN 978-0-385-53705-6). US Doubleday first edition, first printing; verify the stated 'FIRST EDITION' together with a number line ending in 1.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday (New York) first edition, 2014 (ISBN 978-0-385-53705-6)
- Per Doubleday's long-standing convention the copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' and, following the Transworld/Random House practice, carries a full number line whose lowest number is 1, so a first printing shows the line ending in 1
- Issued in hardcover with a pictorial dust jacket that should retain the printed price on the front flap in first state (price present, not clipped)
- Nonfiction; first US trade printing published May 2014
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Colson Whitehead |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 2014 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday (New York) first edition, 2014 (ISBN 978-0-385-53705-6) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday (New York) first edition, 2014 (ISBN 978-0-385-53705-6). Per Doubleday's long-standing convention the copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' and, following the Transworld/Random House practice, carries a full number line whose lowest number is 1, so a first printing shows the line ending in 1. Issued in hardcover with a pictorial dust jacket that should retain the printed price on the front flap in first state (price present, not clipped). Nonfiction; first US trade printing published May 2014.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday first edition, first printing; verify the stated 'FIRST EDITION' together with a number line ending in 1.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition. Later Anchor/Vintage trade paperback issues are reprints, not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death* by Colson Whitehead a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-noble-hustle-poker-beef-jerky-and-death
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.