Is My Copy of Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character a First Edition?

The points of issue

• True first is W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 1985
• The first printing is identified on the copyright page by the words 'First Edition' together with the full number line running down to 0 (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0); later printings lack the low numbers
• It is bound in half red cloth over red boards with the spine lettered in gilt (the red cloth and jacket are notoriously prone to fading/sunning), in a dust jacket designed by Mike McIver and priced at the flap
• A documented advance-copy point: pre-publication copies given to Feynman in late 1984 (roughly 16-20) carry a faint publisher's stamp reading '43546' at the top of the front free endpaper (per Manhattan Rare Books)

How W. W. Norton & Company marked a first edition

• Modern era (1960s–present): a true first typically prints BOTH a stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page AND a number line whose lowest number is 1. Treat the two as a matched pair — the statement declares intent…

Full W. W. Norton & Company first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

US only. Norton (New York), 1985 is the true first; the UK edition (Unwin) is a later, separate publication. The book was edited from taped conversations by Ralph Leighton; the subtitle is 'Adventures of a Curious Character.'P-045868

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Later Norton printings are shown by a number line that no longer ends in the low digits/0, so a first printing must display both 'First Edition' and the complete number line; beware later printings in like jackets. No separate hardback book-club issue was confirmed in the sources consulted.P-045869

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character a first edition?

A first edition of Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman with Ralph Leighton (W. W. Norton & Company) is identified by: True first is W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 1985.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). US only.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

Later Norton printings are shown by a number line that no longer ends in the low digits/0, so a first printing must display both 'First Edition' and the complete number line; beware later printings in like jackets. No separate hardback book-club issue was confirmed in the sources consulted.

I have a first edition of Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.