“Through most of man's history, botany and medicine were, for all practical purposes, synonymous fields of knowledge, and the shaman, or witch-doctor – usually an accomplished botanist – represents probably the oldest professional man in the evolution of human culture.”

“What event likely to occur in the 1980s will our descendants most regret, even those living a thousand years from now? My opinion is not conventional, although I wish it were. The worst thing that can happen – will happen – is not energy depletion, economic collapse, limited nuclear war, or conquest by a totalitarian government. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired within a few generations. The one process ongoing in the 1980s that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.”