Ink,
May I enter from the peanut gallery with a none writer's thoughts on the subject? First I note the author's name. If it is unfamilar I read the flyleaf biography first to become acquainted with the author's background. Then a quick read of the Table of Contents to see if there is anything of interest that will expand my knowlege. A fast flip through the pictures also is useful. At this point I have pretty well decided if the book is worth reading. First and last sentences have little meaning for me except that it is always nice to find an in-depth, well written gardening book which introduces new ideas and techniques...and corrects all the mistakes that the garden writers seem to be copying from each other.

Back to the peanut gallery.....

I don't know what everyone else thinks but I think you have posed an excellent question. I think you are exactly right that the first sentence (or two) needs to be interesting to lead the reader onward. There is no easy answer to this question of just exactly what this wording will be. I tend to look at the pictures and judge buying a book mostly on that but Henry Mitchells books have no pictures and are my very favorites. It is important that you have something to say and I don't mind if someone's opinion is different than mine as long as false information is not being promoted. The ending - unlike a novel a garden book may have many endings at the end of each topic. I like to tie the ending back to the beginning with a humorous twist if possible. I like the body of a book (or article) to be information that is interestingly presented and I do NOT like material that has been "dumbed down" If people can't read big words let them buy a comic book.
Ha! I even made Poppa laugh with that line.

Interesting thoughts INK.
I am not sure what drives me to buy a book these days, or even borrow from the library. Sometimes I am looking for a specific topic - we inherited a pond with koi when we moved to this house last yr, something that I knew nothing about. Pictures were good. Some of the most interesting books I have ordered of late are dissertations or essays on various topics/authors that I particularly like. Confession here - I really like ancient/medieval gardens so university based research is fun to me, but I realise it is akin to dreary to others. And they do have beginnings and endings in a way
Each to there own though, but our mission is to communicate what we love with the masses, and that is not necessarily easy.

You have to grab the reader by thier galls in the first sentence or it's all over.

Garden writing by it's nature is pretty drab without pictures so you have to do some attention getting at the onset, keep it going by whatever means you can, then before you can make a mistake you let thier galls go. That often is enough of a sense of relief that they think they enjoyed the article.

Poppa

Yes, but ...

Perhaps we place too much importance upon developing catchy first sentences. In advertising, it is imperative. However, I believe it is less so in an article or book.

While writing instructors relentlessly preach the importance of the first line, I wonder if, in fact, the average reader truly places that much importance on this rule. If one reads Nandina's comments above, it appears there may be some holes in the bucket. Over the years, I have read many a promising introductory line what would have delighted the teacher but utterly failed to deliver any substance to me. Somewhat like Nandina, I too take note of the author's name. If at the conclusion of my reading, the promise of a good first line is followed by fluff, the odds are that author will have difficulty capturing my audience again.

Sometimes sacred cows should be ground into hamburger.

IronBelly

So, what technique would you use IB? Note I am talking about viable techniques to serve a purpose and not rules and their application. Obviously something new and inventive would hold the attention but is there some way of drawing that attention in the first place do you think? In an essay format the beginning is a statement of what the essay is about and and the ending is a conclusion or a recap of points covered, would there be a less formal way of doing this in a newspaper article, for instance?

In an essay format the beginning is a statement of what the essay is about and and the ending is a conclusion or a recap of points covered, would there be a less formal way of doing this in a newspaper article, for instance?

For newspapers, the standard way to start is with the dynamic point of the story. Then, if that holds the readers attention, the second small papagraph should give the main, interesting points followed by the details and background for anyone who want to read the whole article. Sometimes called the inverted pyramid way of writing. Newspapers require very tight writing due to space, and competition for that space so the headline bits that grab attention are all important.