This fascinating book provides history on the world's oldest cultivated plant, the bottle gourd, which can be traced back to 8,000 BC.  Preserved gourd remains have been found in many ancient sites in the Americas.  Scientists have proven that gourds floated across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas thousands of years ago.  The wild bottle gourd was cultivated and became a staple in Native American culture and was part of the family of food staples called "The Three Sisters," i.e. squash (gourds too), pumpkins, and maize.  Join my journey through the archaeological sites, genetic research, and cultural research to learn amazing facts about the bottle gourd as a food, as container, and as musical instrument.  Filled with some fifty illustrations, this guide is for anyone interested in gourd crafting or gardening generally.

 For the gourd-lover, there are stories about gourds, gourds in the Bible, gourd phrases in popular culture, and famous quotes.  Did you know that Darwin found gourds in the Galapagos?  Did you know King Louis XV ordered botanical drawings of gourds to be entered into the Royal Library?  Did you know that a gourd phone from 800 AD was found in Peru?  The story about the bottle gourd is truly amazing and amusing.