Truth is, squats, when done properly, are much safer than a majority of isolation-type movements, machines and, yes, even leg presses (to correct depth, doing the leg press can very much damage the low back).
There are many ways to tailor the squat to one's specific athletic/aesthetic requirement. I mean, the one poster who suggests squatting will make you appear as a gigantic SPF-type powerlifter is clueless. There is a WORLD of difference between performing Olympic squats with 315 and doing power-styled squats out of a monolift with 800 pounds.
Squatting is for truly athletic men and women.