# Is "The Lying Stones of Marrakech: Penultimate Reflections in Natural History" by Stephen Jay Gould a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Lying Stones of Marrakech: Penultimate Reflections in Natural History by Stephen Jay Gould (Harmony Books, 2000) is identified by: Harmony Books (Crown Publishing / Random House), New York, 2000; Gould's ninth essay collection, octavo, roughly 372 pages. The US Harmony (Crown/Random House) hardcover of 2000 is the true first edition, preceding the UK Jonathan Cape edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harmony Books (Crown Publishing / Random House), New York, 2000
- Gould's ninth essay collection, octavo, roughly 372 pages
- First edition, first printing bound in quarter blue paper over purple paper-covered boards with gilt lettering to the spine, the copyright-page number line descending to 1, and a first-issue dust jacket with the printed price present on the front flap
- An Easton Press signed edition also exists and is not the trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Harmony Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen Jay Gould |
| Publisher | Harmony Books |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harmony Books (Crown Publishing / Random House), New York, 2000 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Harmony Books (Crown Publishing / Random House), New York, 2000; Gould's ninth essay collection, octavo, roughly 372 pages. First edition, first printing bound in quarter blue paper over purple paper-covered boards with gilt lettering to the spine, the copyright-page number line descending to 1, and a first-issue dust jacket with the printed price present on the front flap. An Easton Press signed edition also exists and is not the trade first.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harmony (Crown/Random House) hardcover of 2000 is the true first edition, preceding the UK Jonathan Cape edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book-club edition point of concern; distinguish the signed Easton Press leather issue from the Harmony trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Lying Stones of Marrakech: Penultimate Reflections in Natural History* by Stephen Jay Gould a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-lying-stones-of-marrakech-penultimate-reflections-in-nat
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.