# Is "Giving Good Weight" by John McPhee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Giving Good Weight by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1979) is identified by: FSG first printing, 261 pages, a collection of five essays including the title piece on New York City's Greenmarket farmers, "The Pinball Philosophy," and "Brigade de Cuisine." Bound in brown cloth with red spine lettering and brown endpapers; the copyright page shows no statement of a later printing. US true first (Farrar, Straus and Giroux); McPhee published exclusively with FSG.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- FSG first printing, 261 pages, a collection of five essays including the title piece on New York City's Greenmarket farmers, "The Pinball Philosophy," and "Brigade de Cuisine." Bound in brown cloth with red spine lettering and brown endpapers; the copyright page shows no statement of a later printing
- The first-issue dust jacket carries a design by Lawrence Ratzkin and should retain its printed front-flap price (Ahearn APG reference 016b)
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John McPhee |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | FSG first printing, 261 pages, a collection of five essays including the title piece on New York City's Greenmarket farmers, "The Pinball… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
FSG first printing, 261 pages, a collection of five essays including the title piece on New York City's Greenmarket farmers, "The Pinball Philosophy," and "Brigade de Cuisine." Bound in brown cloth with red spine lettering and brown endpapers; the copyright page shows no statement of a later printing. The first-issue dust jacket carries a design by Lawrence Ratzkin and should retain its printed front-flap price (Ahearn APG reference 016b).

## Is this the true first?
US true first (Farrar, Straus and Giroux); McPhee published exclusively with FSG.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Giving Good Weight* by John McPhee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/giving-good-weight
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.