The points of issue
First edition with the Viking number line on the copyright page; tan or beige paper-covered boards with gilt author initials and a black cloth spine; first-issue dust jacket carries the original price. Issued in the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation series.
Is this the true first?
US Viking Press (New York), 1983, is the true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Confirm the number line on the copyright page; book-club issues lack the jacket price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Youngest Science: Notes of a Medicine-Watcher a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition with the Viking number line on the copyright page; tan or beige paper-covered boards with gilt author initials and a black cloth spine; first-issue dust jacket carries the original price. Issued in the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation series.
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. US Viking Press (New York), 1983, is the true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Confirm the number line on the copyright page; book-club issues lack the jacket price.
I have a first edition of The Youngest Science: Notes of a Medicine-Watcher — 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.