Francisco Ayala (Granada, 1906-Madrid, 2009), is already a classic of universal literature of the twentieth century both for his short stories among which La cabeza del carnero stands out, as well as novels such as El vaso roto or Muertes de perro. His facet as a sociologist and essayist is, unfortunately, less known by the general public, despite its obvious value. He was awarded the Cervantes Prize, and the Princess of Asturias Prize during his lifetime.

This anthology, published in the year marking the centenary of his birth and during the author's lifetime, aims to bring the reader closer to some of his most important sociological essays and articles, which deal with subjects of radical topicality and offer us an enlightening interpretation of numerous burning issues.

The person responsible for the selection of texts included in this volume is Alberto J. Ribes Leiva (Madrid, 1976), doctor in Sociology from the Complutense University of Madrid, who wrote his doctoral thesis on Ayala's articles.