# Is "The Risk Pool" by Richard Russo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Risk Pool by Richard Russo (Random House, 1988) is identified by: Quarter cloth over paper boards, jacket design by Robert Aulicino, original price intact on the front flap. The US Random House 1988 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Quarter cloth over paper boards, jacket design by Robert Aulicino, original price intact on the front flap
- The Random House first printing states First Edition on the copyright page together with a number line ending in 2 (not 1), per Random House practice of that era
- Russo's second novel and his first book issued in hardcover
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Russo |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Quarter cloth over paper boards, jacket design by Robert Aulicino, original price intact on the front flap |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Quarter cloth over paper boards, jacket design by Robert Aulicino, original price intact on the front flap. The Random House first printing states First Edition on the copyright page together with a number line ending in 2 (not 1), per Random House practice of that era. Russo's second novel and his first book issued in hardcover.

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House 1988 edition is the true first. Note the year is 1988 (sometimes misdated 1989).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Random House book-club reprints remove the words First Edition from the copyright page, carry a blind-stamp to the rear board, and lack the priced jacket flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Risk Pool* by Richard Russo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-risk-pool
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.