UNKNOWN

History does not tell us who first burned lime, or when, or why. However, we can trace the tradition of lime-making back to ancient civilizations and even into prehistoric times. Lime Kilns: From Mesopotamia to Marble Valley examines the different lime kilns that western civilizations—both ancient and modern—employed to manufacture lime over the centuries. Each chapter will discuss the civilization or country in terms of its history, architecture, building materials, its use of lime, and the technology used; the technology, of course, was the lime kiln. We shall see the evolution of the lime kiln from a hole in the ground to a large vertical apparatus capable of manufacturing large quantities of lime.

This is the story of the lime kiln.

John Thomson is retired after rewarding careers in both business and academia.

John received his bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University, his master's degree from Golden Gate University, and his doctorate from International University of America, London.

In business, John held responsible positions at GATX Leasing Corporation, San Francisco; Bechtel Corporation, San Francisco; and Syntex Corporation, Palo Alto. John's consulting clients included Cisco Systems, Inc., San Jose; Raychem Corporation, Menlo Park; and Broken Hill Proprietary Company, San Francisco.

John taught business and accounting at several colleges and universities. He was Chair of the Business Department at Phillips Junior College, and Dean of Educational Services at Heald College Institute of Technology. He was a senior research assistant at the Hoover Institution for War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University.

John helped to found the Clarksville Region Historical Society and served on its board of directors for several years. He was active in the California Conference of Historical Societies, which awarded him their Author/Scholastic Award of Merit in 2013.

In addition to a number of academic monographs, theses, and his dissertation, John is the author of the books Life After Layoff (with Frances Thomson) and Bass Lake: A Gold Rush Artifact.

John and his wife live in Arizona with their cat Missy.