Mother Nature's Pharmacy: Potent Medicines from Plants (Science & Society)

Since prehistoric times, humans have used the plant life around them to help cure their ailments. In more recent times, researchers and scientists began to re-examine these early folk remedies in hopes of creating more available forms of treatment. Today, more and more people are attracted to pure forms of these folk medicines. Others hope to gain knowledge from them, so that new drugs may be synthesized.

Although the science of botany is integrated to this field, knowledge of history and anthropology is also key. MOTHER NATURE'S PHARMACY presents the modern history of folk remedies--both its successes and its failures. The authors skillfully illustrate the complex relationship between social and medical breakthrough.

The Science and Society series highlights not only the "what" of science but also the "why," the "how," and the "who." Humanizing science, this revolutionary new series brings each subject to life by showing students all the factors that motivate research and revealing how scientists compete and collaborate with one another. By exploring the connections between science and society--especially in controversial areas--each book illustrates both how society supports science and how science supports society.