A sparse, witty, and unsentimentally brutal novel, The Tree of Knowledge, originally published in 1911, is a philosophical coming of age story not unlike Jack London's Martin Eden. Baroja's observations and criticisms of late 19th century Spanish society remain just as relevant today--perhaps even more so--because they are based on his strong understanding of human nature and the human condition. The philosophical, religious, and scientific questions that consume Andrés Hurtado and which are debated throughout the book, particularly with his uncle Iturrioz, are still the questions that haunt late-stage Western civilization today. A stunning novel, now back in print in a completely new, re-typeset edition.