"History in the large view is mirrored on a smaller scale by the history of programming. Just as the first societies sprang from simple beginnings, so too did programming. Just as great civilizations rose, flourished, and declined, so too have programming languages. Yet, throughout the rise and fall of nations, mankind progressed. In similar fashion, as each new language replaced its predecessor, the ongoing refinement of programming proceeded. Throughout history, there have been pivotal events, such as the fall of the Roman Empire, the invasion of Britain in 1066, or the first nuclear explosion, which transformed the world. The same is true for programming languages, albeit on a smaller scale. For example, the invention of FORTRAN changed forever the way that computers would be programmed. Another such pivotal event was the creation of Java."

in The Art Of Java

Uma introdução bastante curiosa para um livro técnico! Esta metáfora da História Universal aplicada às linguagens de programação quase me fez sentir parte de algum desígnio épico! Um dia, os informáticos governarão este mundo.. =)