Need some help to understand what this means please-TIA

I am not sure what the stuff about publication means. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
Oh this is Julia Child's Mastering the art of French Cooking book
Thank you!

 

3rd printing..?

 

Thank you both. Am going to read the link too Book.

 

Which Volume, Pearls?

 

Bakers, I have both one and 2, but this one I mentioned is 2.

 

Good - because I have both and Vol1 was copyrighted in 1961.

 

It is amazing how the JC books have dropped in value. I remember many years ago I sold one on eboo, I think it was Vol 1 and got about $100 or so.
Now they don't bring nearly as much. I think many people are now going for other cookbooks like BH Gardens and Betty Crocker.
I still pick em up when I see them and give them a new home.

 

"in some cases the publisher may get a large amount of book orders up front, and run a second, third, or even forth printing before the publication date. Some publishers will simply call these the second, third, and forth printings. But other publishers might want to point out that these additional printings were made before the publication date as a way to impress us - it's like saying: look, this book is so great that we had to print more before the official publication date"

That answers a question I've had about a copy of "The Spy Who came in from the Cold" that is marked as fourth impression, prepublication.