GoKawiilWriter recalls 1996 call from tech commentator Bob Cringely praising his Java book
Paul Tyma, then a Ph.D. student at Syracuse University, recounts receiving an unexpected 1996 phone call from journalist Bob Cringely, who claimed Tyma's Java programming book was the best of several he'd read. Tyma says the book led to conference teaching invites and later to a Java training company he co-founded with a friend.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The anecdote illustrates how a single piece of unsolicited praise from a known commentator could open career doors in the early, fast-growing Java ecosystem of the mid-1990s. It also offers a personal window into how niche technical writing sometimes translated into broader business opportunities during that era.
- Paul Tyma wrote an early Java book while a Ph.D. student under Doug Lea at Syracuse University.
- Tech commentator Bob Cringely contacted Tyma directly to praise the book in 1996.
- The attention helped Tyma secure conference teaching gigs and eventually launch a Java training company.
Source: tyma.com — Paul Tyma'S Blog, 2026-10-20
Published there as: “My Friend Bob Cringely”
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