Book excerpt: In its modern form, the computer is only about 40 years old. And so is the job of the computer programmer. This book is a critical history of programming, written to give programmers and analysts in the commercial application field a more pragmatic insight into the background of their profession. It tells the story of why the technology evolved as it did, and how Fifth Generation techniques are already changing the situation.As well as charting the real advances and the passing fashions, this unusual book looks at the situation in perspective, drawing some sad and maybe surprising conclusions while discussing questions such as ``Is programming a job for human beings?'' ``Is it High Noon for the world of programming?''