Clarke is of course one of the masters of sci-fi, but I have to admit I haven't read much of his work. The short story Sentinel (basis for 2001) and the first Rama book. That's it. Had a copy of Childhood's End sitting on my bookshelf for 15 years, but never quite got around to reading it. I will now.

The City And The Stars is a great book set a billion years in the future on an Earth much different than the one we know. Humanity exists only two places amidst a world-spanning desert, though one has completely forgotten about the other and one doesn't want to be "contaminated" by the decadence of the first.

Until Alvin comes along and starts asking questions that haven't been asked in millions of years. His uniqueness among his fellows leads him to staggering discoveries and perhaps the rebirth of human civilization.

A great read that Clarke himself calls "for many years, and many reasons, was my best loved book".

Just wanted to mention, in case you're interested, that I purchased this book at the New Kensington Library Book Sale - July 2002.