Familiar Quotations, commonly known as Bartlett’s, is one of the most famous and longest-lived reference books in the English language. First compiled by John Bartlett in 1855, it has evolved from a small personal notebook into a massive cultural encyclopedia. John Bartlett was a bookstore owner in Cambridge, Massachusetts, located near Harvard University. He was so well-read that students and professors often came to him to settle disputes about who said what. This gave rise to the local catchphrase, "Ask John Bartlett." To keep track of these queries, he started a "commonplace book" (a personal journal for notable excerpts). In 1855, he privately printed the first edition: a slim volume of 258 pages featuring quotes from 169 authors, primarily from the Bible, Shakespeare, and English poets. The spine has some wear, and general age related wear.