# Is "The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies" by E. O. Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies by E. O. Wilson (W. W. Norton, 2009) is identified by: Norton states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1. US true first (W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Norton states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1
- Co-authored with Bert Hölldobler; line drawings by Margaret C. Nelson; priced dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads W. W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E. O. Wilson |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Norton states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Norton states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1. Co-authored with Bert Hölldobler; line drawings by Margaret C. Nelson; priced dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (W. W. Norton, 2009). Co-authored with Bert Hölldobler.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent BCE; confirm the Norton first by the stated 'First Edition' and full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies* by E. O. Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-superorganism-the-beauty-elegance-and-strangeness-of-ins
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.