Provides, through examples, an understanding of the world.s traditional pharmacopeias and how research is affording ways to authenticate their value for use in complementary and alternative medicines and as the basis for the development of new therapies and pharmaceutical agents. It combines scientific information in human physiology, pharmacognosy, pharmacology, and ethnobotany, and intertwines these data with a variety of colorful stories and anecdotes from Socrates. fatal use of hemlock to the evolution of such pharmaceuticals as digitalis, taxol, and lovastatin and botanicals, including Echinacea, Ginkgo, St. John.s wort, and ginseng. It is a valuable text for students of pharmacology, botany, medicine, and biology, and an indispensable tool for professionals in medicine, pharmacology, and botany, as well as an informative resource for patients and everyone interested in plants and their potential for human health.