James started his professional career as a college dropout at the age of seventeen. Four years as a sailing instructor, boatbuilder, machinist, and carpenter taught him the value of craftsmanship, the satisfaction that comes from quality work, and what it means to have real responsibilities. He also figured out that laboring in the hot sun can make college seem quite attractive.

Born and raised in California, James graduated from UC Davis with a degree in electrical engineering, and some years later earned his master’s degree in Computer Science from Stanford University. It was while at Stanford studying artificial intelligence, linguistics, and philosophy that James got his first inspiration to write a book.

In addition to his writing, James is an accomplished amateur guitarist, a tolerable clarinet player, a deep-sea sailor, and the father of three. In his spare time, he enjoys sailing, and hiking and bicycling in the beautiful mountains of Southern California.