John Bartlett, an American publisher and writer, who ran the University Book Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was frequently asked for information on quotations.

This first edition included 258 pages of quotations by 169 authors, chiefly the Bible, William Shakespeare, and the great English poets.

Bartlett rose to be the senior partner of the firm, and supervised the publication of nine additional editions prior to his death in 1905, selling over 300,000 copies.

The book began with quotations originally in English, arranged them chronologically by author; Geoffrey Chaucer was the first entry and Mary Frances Butts the last.

The volume continued to add more recent material, such as quotes from cartoonist Bill Mauldin and Queen Elizabeth II.

Similar criticisms were leveled against Kaplan's 17th edition, published in 2003, which for the first time included entries from J. K. Rowling, Jerry Seinfeld, and Larry David.

But classics were cut, including eleven quotations by Alexander Pope and high-sounding sentimental quotes that Kaplan considered not worthy of inclusion.

Kaplan did, however, expand his number of quotations from Ronald Reagan from three to six, telling USA Today, "I admit I was carried away by prejudice.