The most visionary and versatile thinker of this century here gathers together in a single volume his most significant and prophetic non-fiction writings to present a personal view of the twentieth century. From predicting the role of geosynchronous satellites decades before they existed to his groundbreaking reporting from Kennedy Space Center in the 60s, to anticipating the internet decades before it happened, Clarke has acted both as technological prophet and cultural conscience, celebrating the great scientific powers of man - but simultaneously warning of the perils of a world where power and greed reign unchecked. Each with a new introduction, the essays show how science has expanded exponentially on its own inventions. Sir Arthur's bona fide scientific understanding is combined with a generosity of spirit, the interests of a new renaissance man, a sublime lack of false modesty and a great flair for the dramatic. This is inarguably the crowning achievement of an unrivalled personal odyssey.