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{{Short description|Student study guides}}

{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}

{{rip|date=April 2021}}

[[File:CliffnotesRomeoAndJulietCover.jpg|thumbnail|150px|CliffsNotes for ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'']]

'''CliffsNotes''' (formerly '''Cliffs Notes''', originally '''Cliff's Notes''' and often, erroneously, '''CliffNotes''') are a series of student [[study guide]]s. The guides present and create literary and other works in [[pamphlet]] form or online. Detractors of the study guides claim they let students bypass reading the assigned literature. The company claims to promote the reading of the original work and does not view the study guides as a substitute for that reading.<ref name="about" />

== Company historyHistory ==

CliffsNotes was started by [[Nebraska]] native [[Clifton Hillegass]] in 1958.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/openai-chatgpt-writing-high-school-english-essay/672412/|title=The End of High-School English|first=Daniel|last=Herman|date=December 9, 2022|website=The Atlantic}}</ref> He was working at [[Nebraska Book Company]] of Lincoln, Nebraska, when he met Jack Cole, the co-owner of [[Coles (bookstore)|Coles]], a Toronto book business. Coles published a series of Canadian study guides called [[Coles Notes]], and sold Hillegass the U.S. rights to the guides.<ref name=latimes>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-may-07-me-60427-story.html |title=Clifton Hillegass; Built Cliffs Notes Into Multimillion-Dollar Business | first=Myrna|last=Oliver|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 7, 2001|access-date=January 22, 2025}}</ref>

Hillegass and his wife, Catherine, started the business in their basement at 511 Eastridge Drive in Lincoln, with sixteen [[William Shakespeare]] titles. ByIn 1964August sales1958, reachedthey oneshipped milliontheir Notesfirst annually.batch CliffsNotesof nownotes existand onby hundredsthe end of that year had sold over 58,000 copies. Hillegass hired literature teachers to condense works of literature into concise summaries, commentaries, author biographies and character analyses. In Thethe term1960s, "Cliff'sas Notes"his hasown nowwriters becomerevised athe [[Genericsummaries trademark|proprietaryof eponym]]Shakespearian forplays, similarHillegass eliminated the Cole's Notes productsversions.<ref name=latimes/>

By 1964, sales reached one million Notes annually. CliffsNotes now exist for hundreds of works. The term "Cliff's Notes" has become a [[Generic trademark|proprietary eponym]] for similar products.

[[International Data Group|IDG Books]] purchased CliffsNotes in 1998 for $14,200,000. [[Wiley (publisher)|John Wiley & Sons]] acquired IDG Books (renamed Hungry Minds) in 2001. In 2011, CliffsNotes announced a joint venture with [[Mark Burnett]], a TV producer. This would be a series of 60-second video [[study guide]]s of literary works.<ref name=marketplace>{{Cite web|title=CliffsNotes Goes Digital|url=http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/03/10/pm-cliffsnotes-goes-digital//|access-date=March 10, 2011|publisher=American Public Radio|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727192539/http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/03/10/pm-cliffsnotes-goes-digital//|archive-date=July 27, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2012, CliffsNotes was acquired by [[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]].<ref name=about>{{Cite web|title=About CliffsNotes|url=https://www.cliffsnotes.com/discover-about|website=CliffsNotes|access-date=June 20, 2015}}</ref>

[[International Data Group|IDG Books]] purchased CliffsNotes in 1998 for $14,200,000.2 million. [[Wiley (publisher)|John Wiley & Sons]] acquired IDG Books (renamed Hungry Minds) in 2001. In 2011, CliffsNotes announced a joint venture with [[Mark Burnett]], a TV producer. This, wouldto becreate a series of 60-second video [[study guide]]s of literary works.<ref name=marketplace>{{Cite web|title=CliffsNotes Goes Digital|url=http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/03/10/pm-cliffsnotes-goes-digital//|access-date=March 10, 2011|publisher=American Public Radio|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727192539/http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/03/10/pm-cliffsnotes-goes-digital//|archive-date=July 27, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2012, CliffsNotes was acquired by [[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]].<ref name=about>{{Cite web|title=About CliffsNotes|url=https://www.cliffsnotes.com/discover-about|website=CliffsNotes|access-date=June 20, 2015}}</ref> In 2021, CliffsNotes was acquired by [[Course Hero]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Online education unicorn Course Hero buys CliffsNotes|publisher=Silicon Valley Business Journal|access-date=August 21, 2021|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2021/08/19/course-hero-buys-cliffsnotes.html}}</ref>

== Mandela Effect ==

A Mandela effect exists with CliffsNotes. Many people falsely remember the CliffsNotes software being named CliffNotes. <ref>https://www.pinterest.com/pin/22869910588504243/</ref>

== Other guides ==

In addition to guides for literature, the company produces several other series of guides, including:

*'''CliffsQuickReview''': A quick reference for information on scholastic subjects, such as sciences, mathematics, and history.

*'''CliffsComplete''': Similar to regular CliffsNotes, but also includes notes and commentary.

*'''CliffsAP''': Advanced placement study guides, including action plans, test-taking strategies, reviews, and exercises.

*'''CliffsStudySolver''': A learn-by-mastering approach to algebra, Spanish, grammar, and other subjects.

*'''CliffsTestPrep''': Test preparation guides for the LSAT, SATs, GED, and other tests.

*'''Shakespeare on the Double!''': The original Shakespeare text side-by-side with a contemporary English version.

*'''The Manga Editions''': Based on the traditional manga format.

== See also ==

* [[60second Recap]]

* [[BookRags]]

* [[Coles Notes]]

* [[Enotes]]

* [[Letts and Lonsdale]]

* [[Masterplots]]

* [[Schaum's Outlines]]

* [[Shmoop]]

* [[SparkNotes]]

* [[York Notes]]

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{{Wiktionary|cliff notes}}

*[http://www.cliffsnotes.com/ CliffsNotes website]

{{Houghton Mifflin Harcourt}}

[[Category:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt franchises]]

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[[Category:Book series introduced in 1958]]

[[Category:Wiley (publisher) books]]

[[Category:Textbooks]]

[[Category:Companies based in Lincoln, Nebraska]]

[[Category:2021 mergers and acquisitions]]