When Prof. Hatheron was asked to delineate the history of geostatistics, he objected that such discipline is still too "young" to be treated from a historical point of view. The more and more increasing practical applications requiring newer and newer methodologies would rather suggest the necessity of empha sizing the steps taken and the results obtained up to now. The reason of certain epistemological choices as well as the difficul ties and success in establishing a dialogue with the people most likely to benefit from the results of geostatistics are necessary premises to understand the...