# Is "The Youngest Science: Notes of a Medicine-Watcher" by Lewis Thomas a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Youngest Science: Notes of a Medicine-Watcher by Lewis Thomas (The Viking Press, 1983) is identified by: 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. US Viking Press (New York), 1983, is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lewis Thomas |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition with the Viking number line on the copyright page; tan or beige paper-covered boards with gilt author initials and a black… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Youngest Science: Notes of a Medicine-Watcher* by Lewis Thomas a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-youngest-science-notes-of-a-medicine-watcher
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.