Everybody needs to learn how to communicate effectively, whether you are making new friends,

you're meeting significant others, you're selling, you're negotiating, you're working

with clients, talking to your family, whatever, we always have to communicate.

And a classic way to communicate, of course, is writing.

So in this little series that we're doing, hooked on the first line, we look at the

best first lines in all of literary history.

I work with CalFusmin among others, and we talk about the best first lines we've ever

read and why, because you have to know why a line is effective.

And usually there's a combination of mystery and a little bit of excitement and drama.

But you'll see, you'll see from this first example, I hope you enjoy it.

This isn't your average business podcast, and he's not your average host.

This is the James Altiger show.

So the good thing about a great first sentence, and this maybe is the key thing about a great

first sentence, is that to appreciate this sentence and the conversation we're going

to have about it, you don't have to, you don't have to have read the rest of the book.

That's the idea is that the first sentence is so good, it kind of draws you in right

away to the universe of the book.

So can I give you an example, Cal?

I am waiting here.

All right, so this is a book I read like in, I don't know, 1991, and haven't looked

at it since.

I do not remember the book at all, but when I was looking around for good first sentences,

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