Astounding Science Fiction November 1950 (Volume 46, Number 3)
Illustrations by Ed Cartier, Miller, Ward. Cover by Pattee.

Novelettes: "The Truth About Cushgar" by James H. Schmitz (a "Confederacy of Vega" story - formed part of Agent of Vega)
"Tools of the Trade" by Raymond F. Jones

Stories: "In Value Deceived" by H. B. Fyfe
"Follower" by Eric Frank Russell
"Quixote and the Windmill" by Poul Anderson

Serial: "The Hand of Zei" (Part 2 of 4) by L. Sprague de Camp [see note below]

Articles: "The General Adaptation Syndrome" by Joseph A. Winter, M.D.
"Science for Art's Sake" by J. J. Coupling.

John W. Campbell's editorial is "Choice."

"The Hand of Zei" - This serial was slightly epanded, and then split into 2 books for book publication in hardcover by Avalon Books in 1962 & 1963 - as The Hand of Zei and The Search for Zei. (The expansion probably consists of a new ending for the first part, and a new beginning for the 2nd part to recapitulate the first part.) For this first paperback edition as an Ace-Double in 1963, the 2nd "book" was "moderately abridged by the author" (to remove the recapitulation?) The Search for Zei was re-titled The Floating Continent for a British paperback in 1966 (but the 2nd book was not printed in Britain at all.) Decades later, in 1981, the serial was reunited for hardcover publication under the original magzine title (The Hand of Zei) by Owlswick Press. To complete the confusion, Ace reprinted the Owlswick text for its paperback edition, along with the rest of the series. (So that 1982 Ace edition is not exactly a reprint of the 1963 version.)