A classic of the genre that has aged well in the 60 years since being published. Addresses a lot of great themes: the contrast between secularism and religion, morals vs knowledge, what knowledge actually is, and the duty of citizens towards government. Takes place over a large period of time to show the 'arc of history'. One qualifying note: a reader totally unfamiliar with Catholicism, or Christianity in general, will probably get much less out of the book: references and in-jokes abound.