Branches takes its place alongside Hominescence and The Incandescent as one of the most important books of Michel Serress later career. In typical Serresian fashion, it brings together science, history, and religion to argue that our contemporary world must undergo an epochal change not only in our collective political, social, and environmental behavior but also in the latent collective mentalities that underlie. A major testament from a major philosopher now available in an excellent English translation. * Robert Pogue Harrison, Professor of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, Stanford University, USA * Branches is one of most commanding and at the same time nimble works of Michel Serress extraordinary late period. It is a breathtaking series of meditations on the balance between the rationalising force of format, and the unpredictable buddings and branchings of event. Its majestic opening pages, moving from maritime risk to accountancy, geometry, typography, opera and celestial mechanics, typify the affluent comprehensiveness of Serress philosophical vision; while its spurts and sprints of invention, perfectly mimed in Randolph Burkss lithe and wise translation, jubilantly salute the force of the unlooked-for. * Steven Connor, Grace 2 Professor of English, University of Cambridge, UK *