I just thought I'd comment. I originally read this book long ago, probably not when it was published, in 1974, but probably not too long afterwards. It has always been one of my favorites. I remember not being as thrilled with the sequel, which was written long after the original, but it was okay. I recently noticed that the author's daughter, who is a former military officer and an anthropolgist/archeologist, has writtten an authorized "sequel" of sorts, set in the same universe. I bought the daughter's book, but when I started browsing it I realized it had been so long since I had read the original that I thought it would be a good time to read it again before reading the daughter's book.
I can't comment on the daughter's book yet, but I just wanted to say to all of you that haven't read The Mote in God's Eye that you should go out and read it. This book is exactly what made me want to begin building my own empires. It has everything. It has gotten me enthused about my campaign again, which had hit a rough patch and had slowed down considerably, as many have noted. An all around good read.
Kurt