ButlerLampson once said, "all problems in Computer Science can be solved by another level of indirection" (sometimes misquoted as YouCanSolveAnyProblemWithAnotherLevelOfIndirection).
Butler's home page is at http://www.research.microsoft.com/lampson/default.htm
Author of HintsForComputerSystemDesign. Recipient of 1992 TuringAward.