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Hello, World!: A Brief History of Programming in 90 Languages
Every programming language started with a human moment.
In 2006, a programmer climbed twenty-one flights of stairs because his elevator's software had crashed again. By the time he reached his apartment, he had decided to build a language that would make those bugs impossible. The White House ended up recommending it by name.
In 1952, Grace Hopper built the first compiler, and nobody believed her. In 1964, two Dartmouth professors typed RUN at 4 AM and launched the personal computer revolution. In 1995, Brendan Eich built JavaScript in ten days and accidentally created the most widely deployed programming language on earth.
Hello, World! tells all of these stories and 85 more. 90 programming languages, 76 years, from Konrad Zuse's Plankalkul in 1948 to Gleam in 2024. Each language gets one who made it, why, what the code looks like, and what happened next. 28 spotlight narratives go deeper into the human drama behind the code. Dip in anywhere or read it front to back and watch the entire history of programming unfold.
Reviewed and corrected by language creators. Entries were verified by the creators of BCPL, SQL, CUDA, Haskell, C++, F#, and Visual Basic.
"A remarkably readable romp through the development of programming languages. While languages are the critical tool of the most indispensable profession of our era, this is not a boring history of technical arcana. Rather, Biagio gives us a revealing glimpse into the rooms where it happened, showing how paradigms and products evolved from the needs of practitioners and brilliant inventors. It's packed with fascinating vignettes of creators, their motivations, their achievements, and their failures. Like me, I know you will learn more than you expected, and have fun doing it."
-- Alan Cooper, "The Father of Visual Basic"
"Biagio captures the human stories behind 90 programming languages with genuine care and accuracy. His book is a valuable contribution to the history of computing."
-- Don Chamberlin, co-creator of SQL
"As far as I am concerned it is perfect."
-- Martin Richards, creator of BCPL
What is
• 90 languages across 8 eras, from the Pioneers (1948) to the AI Age (2024)
• 28 spotlight narratives you will not the elevator that inspired Rust, the 4 AM birth of BASIC, Grace Hopper's compiler that should not have worked, JavaScript's ten-day sprint, the COBOL code that outlived everything, and more
• Verified Hello World code for every language, checked against official documentation
• Fun facts that the White House memo that named Rust, the LOLCODE web server that actually worked, the language built entirely from eight characters
You will like this book if you have
• Wondered why there are so many programming languages, and whether anyone actually planned it this way
• Used a language for years without knowing the argument, accident, or bet that created it
• Wanted a book about programming that reads like stories, not documentation
• Needed a gift for the developer who already mass-produces side projects in languages they will never use professionally
No coding experience required. No coding experience hurt, either.
In 2006, a programmer climbed twenty-one flights of stairs because his elevator's software had crashed again. By the time he reached his apartment, he had decided to build a language that would make those bugs impossible. The White House ended up recommending it by name.
In 1952, Grace Hopper built the first compiler, and nobody believed her. In 1964, two Dartmouth professors typed RUN at 4 AM and launched the personal computer revolution. In 1995, Brendan Eich built JavaScript in ten days and accidentally created the most widely deployed programming language on earth.
Hello, World! tells all of these stories and 85 more. 90 programming languages, 76 years, from Konrad Zuse's Plankalkul in 1948 to Gleam in 2024. Each language gets one who made it, why, what the code looks like, and what happened next. 28 spotlight narratives go deeper into the human drama behind the code. Dip in anywhere or read it front to back and watch the entire history of programming unfold.
Reviewed and corrected by language creators. Entries were verified by the creators of BCPL, SQL, CUDA, Haskell, C++, F#, and Visual Basic.
"A remarkably readable romp through the development of programming languages. While languages are the critical tool of the most indispensable profession of our era, this is not a boring history of technical arcana. Rather, Biagio gives us a revealing glimpse into the rooms where it happened, showing how paradigms and products evolved from the needs of practitioners and brilliant inventors. It's packed with fascinating vignettes of creators, their motivations, their achievements, and their failures. Like me, I know you will learn more than you expected, and have fun doing it."
-- Alan Cooper, "The Father of Visual Basic"
"Biagio captures the human stories behind 90 programming languages with genuine care and accuracy. His book is a valuable contribution to the history of computing."
-- Don Chamberlin, co-creator of SQL
"As far as I am concerned it is perfect."
-- Martin Richards, creator of BCPL
What is
• 90 languages across 8 eras, from the Pioneers (1948) to the AI Age (2024)
• 28 spotlight narratives you will not the elevator that inspired Rust, the 4 AM birth of BASIC, Grace Hopper's compiler that should not have worked, JavaScript's ten-day sprint, the COBOL code that outlived everything, and more
• Verified Hello World code for every language, checked against official documentation
• Fun facts that the White House memo that named Rust, the LOLCODE web server that actually worked, the language built entirely from eight characters
You will like this book if you have
• Wondered why there are so many programming languages, and whether anyone actually planned it this way
• Used a language for years without knowing the argument, accident, or bet that created it
• Wanted a book about programming that reads like stories, not documentation
• Needed a gift for the developer who already mass-produces side projects in languages they will never use professionally
No coding experience required. No coding experience hurt, either.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
240 pages, Hardcover
Published May 4, 2026
About the author
Dale Biagio
1 book9 followersDale Biagio is a Software Architect with over twenty-five years of
experience turning complex technology challenges into scalable
solutions, from early mobile platforms to modern enterprise AI.
He has built and led global engineering teams, driving digital
transformation across cloud, data, and AI disciplines, and holds
professional certifications in Enterprise Architecture, AWS, and
Azure AI. His business foundation is rooted in Harvard Business
School, where he studied Business Analytics, Economics for
Managers, and Financial Accounting, giving him a rare ability to
bridge enterprise technology strategy with financial and
organizational impact.
He wrote this book because after a quarter century of typing
“Hello, World!” in new languages, he wanted to know where those
two words actually came from.
He lives in Georgia, USA with his wonderful Wife, fearless
Daughter, and one very unprogrammable Dog.
experience turning complex technology challenges into scalable
solutions, from early mobile platforms to modern enterprise AI.
He has built and led global engineering teams, driving digital
transformation across cloud, data, and AI disciplines, and holds
professional certifications in Enterprise Architecture, AWS, and
Azure AI. His business foundation is rooted in Harvard Business
School, where he studied Business Analytics, Economics for
Managers, and Financial Accounting, giving him a rare ability to
bridge enterprise technology strategy with financial and
organizational impact.
He wrote this book because after a quarter century of typing
“Hello, World!” in new languages, he wanted to know where those
two words actually came from.
He lives in Georgia, USA with his wonderful Wife, fearless
Daughter, and one very unprogrammable Dog.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 23, 2026
- I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway -
This was a great overview of some of the most influential coding languages to date. I’m a physics graduate student who minored in computer science in undergrad. I found this book to be not only useful but enjoyable! I learned little to none about WHY different languages evolved. Courses were too focused on how to use a select few that we never learned the why. This book really helped to fill in those gaps for me, while being a fun and interesting read!
This was a great overview of some of the most influential coding languages to date. I’m a physics graduate student who minored in computer science in undergrad. I found this book to be not only useful but enjoyable! I learned little to none about WHY different languages evolved. Courses were too focused on how to use a select few that we never learned the why. This book really helped to fill in those gaps for me, while being a fun and interesting read!
July 16, 2026
Such a fun and light tour of nearly 80 years of programming languages (and one query language). It doesn't go deep on each language's details, but rather provides context (both human and technical) for why each was created and where it fits into the overarching story of how people speak to machines. As the author notes, it's a very human story. I found it enjoyable on that level but also useful: I'll no doubt become a better coder with more color on *why* any language takes the approach it takes. Highly recommended.
August 1, 2026
Something related both to a coffee table encyclopedia and a phone book. Shallow, but breadth in itself can be valuable. A work of
IF not of love THEN
joyous infatuation
END IF
Coulld have done well with a dozen (at most) extra pages to clarify some CS terminology for the filthy casual dabbler (like me).
____________
Review based off a digital advanced review copy provided by Badger Media LLC through NetGalley.
IF not of love THEN
joyous infatuation
END IF
Coulld have done well with a dozen (at most) extra pages to clarify some CS terminology for the filthy casual dabbler (like me).
____________
Review based off a digital advanced review copy provided by Badger Media LLC through NetGalley.
May 27, 2026
A brilliant and surprisingly human journey through programming history
Hello, World! is an exceptional book. Intelligent, engaging, and far more human than I expected a book about programming languages to be. Rather than simply cataloging syntax or technical milestones, it brings the history of computing to life through the stories.
What makes this book so compelling is the way it connects each language to the people, problems, and moments that shaped it. It gives readers a deeper appreciation for the tools developers use every day, while remaining accessible enough for curious non-programmers (like myself) who are so eager to understand how the digital world was built.
The writing is clear, thoughtful, and full of fascinating context. I found myself not only learning, but also developing a new respect for the creativity, constraints, and ambition behind programming language design.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the evolution of software. This is the kind of book that reminds me that code is not just technical, it is historical, cultural, and deeply human.
Hello, World! is an exceptional book. Intelligent, engaging, and far more human than I expected a book about programming languages to be. Rather than simply cataloging syntax or technical milestones, it brings the history of computing to life through the stories.
What makes this book so compelling is the way it connects each language to the people, problems, and moments that shaped it. It gives readers a deeper appreciation for the tools developers use every day, while remaining accessible enough for curious non-programmers (like myself) who are so eager to understand how the digital world was built.
The writing is clear, thoughtful, and full of fascinating context. I found myself not only learning, but also developing a new respect for the creativity, constraints, and ambition behind programming language design.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the evolution of software. This is the kind of book that reminds me that code is not just technical, it is historical, cultural, and deeply human.
May 15, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for review.
If you're even slightly interested in coding languages, I would definitely consider reading this. The different entries are short and sweet (with a cute note about whether they're endangered or not) while going more in depth into the more used or notable languages. Even for the languages that don't get a lot of time, it gives just enough information that if you wanted to look into it more by yourself you'd have the information to do.
You definitely need at least some coding knowledge to understand the terms, as they're not really explained, but I managed it just fine with a rudimentary understanding.
If you're even slightly interested in coding languages, I would definitely consider reading this. The different entries are short and sweet (with a cute note about whether they're endangered or not) while going more in depth into the more used or notable languages. Even for the languages that don't get a lot of time, it gives just enough information that if you wanted to look into it more by yourself you'd have the information to do.
You definitely need at least some coding knowledge to understand the terms, as they're not really explained, but I managed it just fine with a rudimentary understanding.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews