# Is "The Structure of Evolutionary Theory" by Stephen Jay Gould a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Structure of Evolutionary Theory by Stephen Jay Gould (Belknap Press / Harvard University Press, 2002) is identified by: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2002; first printing with the full descending number line ending in 1; priced dust jacket. US true first, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2002; first printing with the full descending number line ending in 1; priced dust jacket
- Gould's magnum opus, roughly 1,400 pages, green cloth with gilt
- Publisher imprint reads Belknap Press / Harvard University Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen Jay Gould |
| Publisher | Belknap Press / Harvard University Press |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2002; first printing with the full… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2002; first printing with the full descending number line ending in 1; priced dust jacket. Gould's magnum opus, roughly 1,400 pages, green cloth with gilt.

## Is this the true first?
US true first, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No BCE.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Structure of Evolutionary Theory* by Stephen Jay Gould a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-structure-of-evolutionary-theory
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.