The points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition November 2011' and carries the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 (odd numbers ascending then even numbers descending — it does not end in 1). ISBN 978-1-4516-4853-9; first-issue jacket with the black-and-white portrait retains the printed price unclipped.
Is this the true first?
The US Simon & Schuster edition is the true first, released October 24, 2011, days after Jobs's death, with near-simultaneous worldwide distribution. An earlier announced title was 'iSteve: The Book of Jobs'; the published first uses the title 'Steve Jobs.'
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club hardcover of note. The 'First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition November 2011' statement together with the 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 number line identify the first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Power Broker — adjacent landmark biography: Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page states 'First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition November 2011' and carries the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 (odd numbers ascending then even numbers descending — it does not end in 1). ISBN 978-1-4516-4853-9; first-issue jacket with the black-and-white portrait retains the printed price unclipped.
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. The US Simon & Schuster edition is the true first, released October 24, 2011, days after Jobs's death, with near-simultaneous worldwide distribution. An earlier announced title was 'iSteve: The Book of Jobs'; the published first uses the title 'Steve Jobs.'
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club hardcover of note. The 'First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition November 2011' statement together with the 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 number line identify the first printing.
I have a first edition of The Power Broker — adjacent landmark biography: Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs — 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.