Why I wrote the book

One thing I've learned over the years is just how much knowledge and experience people carry with them. Sometimes we don't realize how valuable that knowledge is until someone leaves.

I've walked into maintenance departments after someone retired and wished I could sit down with that person and ask why certain things were done the way they were. I might not have agreed with all their decisions, but understanding their thinking would have helped me. And I'm sure some of the decisions I've made over the years have left other people wondering the same thing.

That was one of several things that got me thinking about putting some of my experiences into writing.

As I worked through the book, I realized there was more I wanted to share. We spend a lot of time talking about maintenance procedures, work orders, preventive maintenance, and reliability. All of those things matter. But understanding why we do something is just as important as knowing how to do it.

I've made plenty of mistakes along the way, and I've learned from technicians, managers, and people whose experiences were different from mine. I don't pretend to have all the answers, and I'm still learning.

What I wanted to do with this book was share some of that experience and the thinking behind it. Not to tell people that my way is the right way, but to give them something they can use, question, and hopefully improve upon.

If someone can take something from this book, improve on it, become better at what they do, or help others recognize the value of their experience, then writing it was worth it.