There are about 5500 existing Greek manuscripts . 98% of them have almost the exact same wording. Thus the name, "the Majority text." Most of these come from the area around Byzantium, thus the alternate name, the "Byzantine text."

The other 2% are significantly different (word changes, additions, omissions, etc.) both from the Majority and from each other. They were blended together into one "new" text, called the "Critical text" or the "Alexandrian text" (since most of these manuscripts come from around Alexandria, Egypt.") It is also called the "eclectic text," since it blends several different manuscripts.

Within the "family" of the Majority text, one specific group of manuscripts has been consistently used throughout church history. Thus we call it "the Traditional Text." So the "Majority text" and the "TR" are essentially the same.

Maybe this analogy will help. Think of families. Pretend that 98% of people in the world were in the Troutman family (What a wonderful place!) We share a common DNA, looks, personalities, etc. The leaders of this family have always been from the Pensacola Troutman family. We are within the greater Troutman Family, and are definitely Troutmans. That's the relationship of the TR to the Majority Text. The TR is a part of the Majority.

For the sake of this illustration, the Critical Text would be your family. You only represent 2% of the people in the world. You have never been in charge, and in fact, you just became a family about 150 years ago. Your family and the Troutman's do have much in common, since both families have mom's, dad's, brothers, sisters, cousins, etc., but they are very different from the Troutman's. They are a different family. (And quit your whining about me picking on your family! It's just an illustration!)

If you need a book with this information, beat up an OT Survey student and take away their copy of "Touch Not the Unclean Thing" by David Sorenson. I'm sure he deals with all of this in there (but not nearly so cojently nor entertainingly.)