# Is "I Have Landed: The End of a Beginning in Natural History" by Stephen Jay Gould a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of I Have Landed: The End of a Beginning in Natural History by Stephen Jay Gould (Harmony Books, 2002) is identified by: Harmony Books, New York, published 14 May 2002; first edition, first printing with the number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. US true first, Harmony Books (a Crown/Random House imprint), 2002.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harmony Books, New York, published 14 May 2002; first edition, first printing with the number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Octavo, 418 pages
- ISBN 0609601431
- Gould's tenth and final essay collection, completed shortly before his death
- The original dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Harmony Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen Jay Gould |
| Publisher | Harmony Books |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harmony Books, New York, published 14 May 2002; first edition, first printing with the number line ending in 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Harmony Books, New York, published 14 May 2002; first edition, first printing with the number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Octavo, 418 pages. ISBN 0609601431. Gould's tenth and final essay collection, completed shortly before his death. The original dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US true first, Harmony Books (a Crown/Random House imprint), 2002. A UK edition was issued by Jonathan Cape (ISBN 0224062999) under the alternate subtitle 'Splashes and Reflections in Natural History.'

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book club edition; confirm the first printing by the number line ending in 1 on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *I Have Landed: The End of a Beginning in Natural History* by Stephen Jay Gould a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/i-have-landed-the-end-of-a-beginning-in-natural-history
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.