The book had 1,112 pages, and over 900 of the pages were recipes. Because many of the pages were recipes, it became known as "Mrs Beeton's Cookbook". Most of the recipes were illustrated with colored pictures, and it was the first book to show recipes in a way that is still used today. It is said that many of the recipes were actually taken from earlier writers (including Eliza Acton), but the Beetons never claimed that the book's contents were original. It was supposed to be a guide of reliable information for the middle class people. Mrs Beeton is described better as the books compiler and editor than as its author, because many of the passages were not in her own words.