Service Parts Planning with mySAP SCM: Processes, Structures, and Functions
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    Service Parts Planning with mySAP SCM: Processes, Structures, and Functions
    Jörg T. Dickersbach
    Manufacturer: Springer
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    1. Supply Chain Management with APO: Structures, Modelling Approaches and Implementation of mySAP SCM 4.1 Supply Chain Management with APO: Structures, Modelling Approaches and Implementation of mySAP SCM 4.1
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    ASIN: 3540326502

    Book Description

    The Service Parts Planning (SPP) solution addresses the specific planning problems of service parts. This book explains the processes, structures, and functions of this new solution and is targeted for project members and project managers who are involved in an implementation of SAP Service Parts Planning or for users who want to gain a better understanding of the software.

    The focus of this book is the tactical and operative service parts planning functions. Additionally monitoring and reporting functions are explained and the procurement, stock transfer and sales execution processes are sketched as an excursion.

    Analysis and Algorithms for Service Parts Supply Chains (Springer Series in Operations Research and Financial Engineering)
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Important Contribution to Service Parts Management Body of Knowledge
    Analysis and Algorithms for Service Parts Supply Chains (Springer Series in Operations Research and Financial Engineering)
    John A. Muckstadt
    Manufacturer: Springer
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    1. Optimal Inventory Modeling of Systems: Multi-Echelon Techniques (INTERNATIONAL SERIES IN OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCE) Optimal Inventory Modeling of Systems: Multi-Echelon Techniques (INTERNATIONAL SERIES IN OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCE)
    2. Service Parts Handbook (2nd Edition) Service Parts Handbook (2nd Edition)
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    ASIN: 0387227156

    Book Description

    Services requiring parts has become a $1.5 trillion business annually worldwide, creating a tremendous incentive to manage the logistics of these parts efficiently by making planning and operational decisions in a rational and rigorous manner. This book provides a broad overview of modeling approaches and solution methodologies for addressing service parts inventory problems found in high-powered technology and aerospace applications. The focus in this work is on the management of high cost, low demand rate service parts found in multi-echelon settings.

    This unique book, with its breadth of topics and mathematical treatment, begins by first demonstrating the optimality of an order-up-to policy [or (s-1,s)] in certain environments. This policy is used in the real world and studied throughout the text. The fundamental mathematical building blocks for modeling and solving applications of stochastic process and optimization techniques to service parts management problems are summarized extensively. A wide range of exact and approximate mathematical models of multi-echelon systems is developed and used in practice to estimate future inventory investment and part repair requirements.

    The text may be used in a variety of courses for first-year graduate students or senior undergraduates, as well as for practitioners, requiring only a background in stochastic processes and optimization. It will serve as an excellent reference for key mathematical concepts and a guide to modeling a variety of multi-echelon service parts planning and operational problems.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Important Contribution to Service Parts Management Body of Knowledge.......2006-02-28

    In my 25-year career in the equipment service business, a few books stand out as being the most noteworthy contributions to the management of service parts. They include Robert G. Brown's Advanced Service Parts Inventory Control (1982), Joseph D. Patton Jr.'s Service Parts Management (1984), and Craig C. Sherbrooke's Optimal Inventory Modeling of Systems: Multi-Echelon Techniques (1992). This new volume by Muckstadt stands to be the most significant contribution to the business of managing service parts since Sherbrooke's volume.

    Brown's book teaches the practitioner how to apply the principles and methods developed by him and others to the practical management of service parts. Brown's pioneering work in forecasting and inventory control methodologies forms the basis of current practice across many industries. Patton's volume (along with it's subsequent revisions) is a practitioner's desk reference that provides a convenient overview of the issues and methods employed in the industry from the viewpoint of one with years of experience managing and consulting to the industry. Sherbrooke produced pioneering work in the area of service inventory supply optimization while working at the RAND Corporation for Department of Defense applications in the military. In fact, the most sophisticated service parts supply optimization methodologies in existence today are outgrowths of Sherbrooke's original work at RAND and further research by the Operations Research community.

    This new text by Muckstadt is an important contribution in three ways. First, it pulls together in one text much of the significant research related to service parts supply chain optimization to date. Researchers, consultants and practitioners will find that the 260-reference bibliography itself is worth the cost in timesavings in researching the many papers that have been written on the subject. Second, it teaches students of Operations Research the underlying concepts and how to specify and formulate optimization models for service parts applications. Graduate students who complete the material in the text will be well prepared to conduct further research of their own. Finally, Chapters 6 and 10 present valuable new approaches heretofore never published. The time-based service objectives in Chapter 6 directly reflect the manner in which service contracts in high technology industries are written. Decision models that operate in real-time such as those described in Chapter 10 offer the greatest potential for advancing the effectiveness of service parts supply chains.
    Production Spare Parts: Optimizing the Mro Inventory Asset
    Average customer rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    • Inventory Solutions review
    Production Spare Parts: Optimizing the Mro Inventory Asset
    Eugene Moncrief , Ronald Schroder , and Michael Reynolds
    Manufacturer: Industrial Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    ASIN: 0831132280

    Book Description


    Customer Reviews:

    1 out of 5 stars Inventory Solutions review.......2006-01-10

    This book provides a review of what this company can do for you, I don't see any other help besides of that.
    The company goes through cases were this company have been working on in the past. Only well known formulas are provided.
    Spare Parts: A Romentics Novel
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • A Roller Coaster of a Romance
    • Good story but not well-written.
    • Spare Parts, but Not Spare Feelings!
    • Excellent Book
    • Love is Joy
    Spare Parts: A Romentics Novel
    Scott & Scott , Scott Pomfret , and Scott Whittier
    Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    Love & RomanceLove & Romance | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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    5. Bareback Bareback

    ASIN: 159457376X
    Release Date: 2004-04-15

    Book Description

    Dan is a mechanic with a chain of successful garages and a lonely life. Trent is a recent grad, a struggling photographer with an empty wallet and bills to pay. But an old enemy is trying to ruin Dan's business. Trent is posing as a prostitute. And a secret from their past could destroy everything. Is it fate or bad luck that brings them together one dark night? And can they build a life out of all these spare parts?

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars A Roller Coaster of a Romance.......2007-07-23

    The novel covers about two weeks from Dan and Trent's first encounter (but not really, read the book!), through misunderstandings, mistaken identities, misconceptions and the happily ever after ending. Their story was a fast-paced, roller coaster of a ride that I had a hard time putting down.

    Despite how quickly their story moves, their characters come to life with glimpses into their troubled younger years, their hopes and dreams. Family and friends delightfully add to their story;like the vibrant Ida and the outrageous Nathan.

    This is a book that I will read again and again.

    3 out of 5 stars Good story but not well-written........2007-05-01

    A bit cheesy in places. Many typos throughout. The book was not well-edited. The price is steep for such a mediocre publication.

    4 out of 5 stars Spare Parts, but Not Spare Feelings!.......2007-02-10

    Thia ia my first experience in reading a Romantics novel and while I found the plot to be predictable, I enjoyed the story and the characterizations very much. It had all the elements of a well-told story and made me want to go back and read more of this series. As a result, I have ordered four more titles to see if the quality of these stories holds up. I would recommend anyone who like reading a good romance story to sit down and read this story but would warn you. You won't want to stop until you've finished the whole story!
    Kris Kleeberg

    5 out of 5 stars Excellent Book.......2007-01-04

    I loved Spare Parts. The characters had substance and charm and you wanted to save them both from themselves. The book moved well and the descriptions were excellent. I couldn't put the book down.

    I would definitely recommend this book. It is well worth it.

    5 out of 5 stars Love is Joy.......2006-06-22

    Dan and Trent fell in love with each other in a whirlwind, despite big secrets each was keeping inside. They were opposites in so many ways, but they each clearly found the other overwhelmingly attractive and they each found overwhelming joy in each other. When the secrets each was hiding came out, their love was badly shaken but withstood even that challenge. Add several interesting supporting characters, some hot (and incredibly sweet) sex scenes (that a big hunk of masculine man like Dan could so willingly surrender himself to Trent in their sex was amazing), and you get a fun read. It also has a wonderfully optimistic and upbeat message. I've read this book three or four times now (I've lost count), and I've enjoyed it even more each time I've read it. If you liked any of the other "Romentics" novels from Scott and Scott, you'll like this one as well.
    Do Butterflies Carry Spare Parts
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • A Heroic Life
    • The Power of a Mother's Love
    • Empowers Special Needs Families!
    • Do Butterflies Carry Spare Parts
    • The Hurt, The Pain, The Confusin
    Do Butterflies Carry Spare Parts
    Sarah Bryce
    Manufacturer: Word Wright International
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0971383219

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars A Heroic Life.......2003-10-20

    This is a book that comes straight from the heart. It is about a mother's heroic struggle over many years to help her developmentally-challenged son, whose immune system has apparently been severely damaged by a chemical intended for termites. This voyage through many years of treatment, through false starts, frustrating encounters with ignorant school teachers and officials, is also a spiritual journey that leads to encounters with forces of evil that seem otherworldly. All of this leads to shocking ending that no reader could expect. Highly recommended.

    5 out of 5 stars The Power of a Mother's Love.......2003-09-11

    This book tells about how one mother never gave up trying to find help for her son. Her story is an inspiration to others who have to struggle for appropriate medical care, effective educational methods, and physical endurance to carry on over the years and never give up. After the first page, a reader cannot put it down. The story keeps unfolding, even when you think there can't be more. The Bryce family worked together to gain spiritual strength, and now Sarah shares their story with her readers.

    5 out of 5 stars Empowers Special Needs Families!.......2003-09-11

    Sarah Bryce eloquently illustrates the challenges of having a son with special needs. The reader is transported into the world of the 1960's & 1970's, when little was known in the medical and educational communities about children with undiagnosable conditions. In a time where warehousing handicapped children was encouraged, Bill & Sarah Bryce bravely navigated the turbulent waters of ignorance, nonchalance & anger. Instead of giving up hope, they sought help in both conventional and unconventional arenas and were successful. This book is a lesson in tenacity, courage and love.

    5 out of 5 stars Do Butterflies Carry Spare Parts.......2003-09-07

    This is a very fascinating book, brings out the loving relationship of Bill and Sarah Bryce with their highly gifted son Malcom who suffered from a severe nervous disorder.
    The book tells of their acquaintance with a physical therapist through whose help and encouragement they were able to help their son deal with the problems he faced.
    Thru this book and our friendship with the Bryces, I was put in touch with the therapist, Ed Snapp. By treatment in his clinic I have benefited greatly in my battle with a periferal nerve disease.
    Martin Schmidt 1343 31 Rd, Minden, NE 68959

    5 out of 5 stars The Hurt, The Pain, The Confusin.......2003-09-02

    I read Sarah Bryce's "Do Butterflies Have Spare Parts" and cried and laughed and got mad with the medical community and ached as the parents and family struggled through this painful ordeal. Sarah Bryde has opened up an avenue for us who have "different" children and with education and books like this maybe we can bring more understanding and healing to multitudes that need it.
    The book was the most loving and sincere and showed the love of a family, striving to stay intact under difficult circumstances. I highly recommend the book to any one who wants to understand human differences.
    Maintenance and Spare Parts Management
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Maintenance and Spare Parts Management
      P. Gopalakrishnan , and A.K. Banerji
      Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall of India Pvt.Ltd
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      ASIN: 8120306694
      Spare Parts: Organ Replacement in American Society
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Spare Parts: Organ Replacement in American Society
        Renee C. Fox , and Judith P. Swazey
        Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

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        ASIN: 0195076508

        Book Description

        The developments that have occurred in the field of organ transplantation during the 1980s and early 1990s, and the simultaneous rise and fall of the Jarvik-7 artificial heart are the subject of this vividly written and absorbing new volume. In Spare Parts, fascinating, interconnected stories of organ transplantation and the artificial heart are recounted in an interpretive framework that explores the vision of the "replaceable body." Themes of uncertainty, gift exchange, and the allocation of scarce material and non-material resources underscore a discussion that openly examines the escalating ardor about the goodness of repairing and remaking people with transplanted organs. Likewise, the stories open questions of life and death, identity, and solidarity. This important book offers insights into the symbolic and anthropomorphic meanings associated with the human body and its organs, and into the ways that medical professionals come to terms with the concomitant aspects of transferring vital body parts. Both artificial and donor organs, as well as the process of transplantation, are the subject of a thoughtful discussion which touches on the medical myths and rituals that they generate. Chronologically, Spare Parts begins where the authors' previous book, The Courage to Fail, leaves off. More than a sequel, however, this work reflects their increasingly troubled and critical reactions to the expansion of organ replacement. Likely to be controversial, this book is must reading for bioethicists, medical sociologists and anthropologists, health-care lawyers, planners and administrators, nurses and physicians, medical journalists and science writers, and concerned lay readers.
        The Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Series 1 Spare Parts Catalogue (Jaguar)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          The Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Series 1 Spare Parts Catalogue (Jaguar)
          Jaguar Cars
          Manufacturer: Bentley Publishers
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          PartsParts | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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          ASIN: 0837605377
          Doctor Who:  Spare Parts (Big Finish Audio Drama)
          Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
          • Hands down - beats the "Age of Steel"
          • You have been selected by the Central Committee for processing.
          • "Genesis of the Cybermen"
          Doctor Who: Spare Parts (Big Finish Audio Drama)
          Marc PlattDirector: Gary Russell
          Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions Ltd
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Audio CD

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          5. Doctor Who: Davros Doctor Who: Davros

          ASIN: 1903654726

          Customer Reviews:

          4 out of 5 stars Hands down - beats the "Age of Steel".......2007-02-15

          This "radio" show has "The Doctor" (Peter Davison - sometimes sounding very much like Jonathan Pryce) and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) accidentally landing on the beknighted world of Mondas. As any "Doctor Who" fan knows, "Mondas" was the birthplace of the dreaded "Cybermen", the half-man, half-machine menace that rose to near conquest of the universe. In this story, the Doctor finds the Cybermen are at an early stage in their genesis - a development forced by the dire conditions imposed on the inhabitants when Mondas was dislodged from its orbit and sent careening through space. At first, Mondas's population found survival by abndoning the now uninhabitable surface for cities recreated in the planets caverns. With worsening conditions and a desperate plan to create a mammoth propulsion system as the only way to return Mondas to its home-system (which requires work on the surface), the inhabitants develop the science of cybernetic augmentation. The cities, governed by a committee of the world's brightest minds linked by cybernetic technology, slowly become graveyards. And the graveyards themselves become storehouses for the survivors' desperate need for...spare parts.

          This is (at least) the second time the Who-niverse has explored the origins of the Cybermen. The new "Dr. Who" nearly ended its 2nd season with "Age of Steel" a 2-parter showing the Cybermen being created on a parallel Earth. However, "Spare" easily beats "Steel", which borrows liberally from the classic serial "Genesis of the Daleks" and even relies on an almost classically unconvincing villain for their creator. Here, we've got a more original story, one which explores the painful and yet undeniable realities that bred the Cybermen, eschews any easy villains or easy answers. The script makes the most of being a sound-only affair with excellent sound effects, music and some great dialog. The actors connote more expression through their tones-of-voice than you'd get on a season of watching "Star Trek: The Next Generation". This is not simply great "Dr. Who" - it's great radio drama.

          5 out of 5 stars You have been selected by the Central Committee for processing........2006-12-29

          I was a little bit nervous about purchasing any Doctor Who audio adventures because I'm so used to watching them instead of only listening to them. But I thought I'd give them a shot and pick up the one with the best reviews and I wasn't disappointed. The audio adventure Spare Parts is a Fifth Doctor(Peter Davidson)adventure;inwhich the Doctor and Nyssa arrive in an underground city on "Earth" but later they come to discover that they have not landed on Earth but rather it's twin, The Tenth Planet Mondas.

          I will try not to give too much away but this audio adventure is on par with Genesis of the Daleks. The story is well written and is very Dark and sad. The voice actors Peter Davidson, Nicholas Briggs and company are Fantastic as are the sound effects and music. We see in this story the struggles and lengths the "Government" (the Central committee) is willing to go to ensure the "survival" of the inhabitants of the planet, and the horror, sadness and lost that results from that.

          The planet Mondas has been hurtling through space for many generations and so the surface is frozen wasteland. All of the inhabitants have moved to cities underground, while suffering under watchful eye's of the Central committe and its police taskforce of Cybermen.We meet the Hartley family, inwhich the Son Frank wishes to be selected by the Central Committee to reach the surface of the planet and explore it. But as fate would have it his younger sister Yvonne is proven to be a better candidate for the "expedition". During all of this the Doctor is exploring the city and trying to see if perhaps there is anything he can do to save the inhabitant's of Mondas and expose the central committee's ambition's.

          I reccomend this audio adventure for anyone who is a fan of Doctor who and wants to give the audios adventures a try. Spare parts will remove any doubts you may have about the quality of tales woven for the audio adventures and let's hope that doubt is the only emotion that it removes....





          5 out of 5 stars "Genesis of the Cybermen".......2006-09-28

          Usually, when people who are not familiar with Big Finish ask something like 'What's the best one they've done?' or 'Where's a good place to start?', more likely than not the answer they get is "Spare Parts". And for good reason. This is a solid story with a clever script, some very good acting, good sound design, and it gives you a window into the origin of the Cybermen that is highly affecting and disturbingly plausible.

          The Doctor and Nyssa find themselves on a very Earth-like planet. The Doctor quickly begins to suspect where they've actually landed, but Nyssa is in the dark. As they meet a few of the locals and (naturally) get separated, the truth begins to dawn on Nyssa: they have arrived not on Earth at all, but on Mondas, and are witnessing the birth of the Cybermen.

          At the point we enter the story, the Cybermen are used mainly as a police force, patroling the city and enforcing a curfew at night, and as work crews who are involved in some task on the planet's surface that would be impossible for 'normal' Mondasians (who dwell in cities underground) to accomplish.

          The Mondasian society is very well portrayed. We meet citizens from an average family who, during the course of the story, has their daughter 'selected' and taken from them and turned into a Cyberman (alongside her older brother who wishes it would have been him), to the medical specialist in charge of the selections (herself a member of a society of Sisters that, she's been assured, is exempt from the selections), to one of the scientists working on developing and refining the Cyberization process.

          The Cybermen themselves are fascinating, and are shown to be in variant stages of development: the voices we hear mainly are those from "The Tenth Planet", with their mechanical sing-song pattern. But as we get more into the story, we begin to encounter variations, mainly in the Committee, which sounds more like the Troughton-era Cybermen, particularly the disembodied Cyber-voice barking orders to Tobias Vaughan in "The Invasion". You also get hints of different looking Cybermen via the dialogue.

          Both Davison and Sutton are brilliant in this story, delivering very convincing portrayals of their characters caught up in deadly and frightening circumstances, with Nyssa recognizing that the evolution of the Cybermen will eventually spell the death of Adric, and the Doctor wrestling with his own involvement in the events: How much can he do to help the Mondasians without changing the established course of history, or should he take his opportunity to put a stop to a universal threat in its infancy?

          There are some chilling scenes in "Spare Parts", some of them very reminiscent of the Holocaust. In Part One, the Hartley family must hide Nyssa as a Cyber-patrol storms their home looking for strangers. Later, near the end of the story, Yvonne Hartley returns to her family, partially Cyberized, and barely recognizes them through her conditioning. In the end, as the Cybermen begin to exert their control over the planet, Mondasians are herded into death chambers, disturbingly similar to Jews, gays, Gypsies, etc. being forced into the gas chambers by the Nazis.

          This very dark story has earned its reputation as the best that Big Finish has to offer. Written by Marc Platt (who also wrote "Ghost Light"), it not only shows how and why the Cybermen were first developed, but also ties together many of the established facts about the Cybermen and their history into one cohesive narrative and shows how all of those events were factors in (or developed from) their origin.

          If you've seen Sesaon Two of the new series of Doctor Who on Sci-Fi Channel, and you enjoyed "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel", then definitely buy this disk. That story was loosely based on this audio drama.
          Spare Parts: From Campus to Combat: A Marine Reservist's Journey from Campus to Combat in 38 Days
          Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
          • Excellent Book
          • Serious Page Turner!
          • Excellent .. a very enjoyable book
          • Excellent Memoir of Reserve Life
          • Towgunner Chimes In
          Spare Parts: From Campus to Combat: A Marine Reservist's Journey from Campus to Combat in 38 Days
          Buzz Williams
          Manufacturer: Gotham
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover

          Military & SpiesMilitary & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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          1. Generation Kill Generation Kill

          ASIN: 159240054X
          Release Date: 2004-03-08

          Amazon.com

          Long the stuff of historical, literary, and cinematic legend, the United States Marine Corps maintains arguably the most fervent cult of devotion of any branch of the Armed Services. Yet despite the colorful Corps traditions and clichés that have long since become a part of American culture, the crucial human dimensions of what drives a man to become a Marine have remained largely unexplored. Buzz Williams bravely stakes out his turf in this insightful memoir of his years as a Marine reservist and tour of duty in the first Gulf War of 1991.

          Inspired by the USMC service of an older brother who died a tragic, early death, Williams' initial attraction to the Corps is almost cult-like in its intensity (his adopted nickname stems from the close-cropped military haircut he'd worn since childhood). As a way to balance his drive for service with the desire for a college education, Williams joined the USMC Reserves, and quickly found himself a second-class citizen in his cherished institution--when the Marines' "Green Machine" breaks down, they call for "Spare Parts," the Corps' derogatory term for reservists. But, when Iraq invaded Kuwait on the eve of his graduation from armor training at Camp Pendleton, new warrior Williams quickly found himself headed inexorably towards desert warfare in which American forces were often their own worst enemy.

          What is striking about Williams' tale is its attentive, persistent psychoanalyses of both his fellow warriors and himself--an examination that finds many a conflicted hero with feet of clay. His unflinching observations about a venerable institution hobbled by bureaucracy, recruitment compromises, woefully inadequate training, and a chronic shortage of supplies seem especially timely in light of the contemporary military quagmire in Iraq. Yet through all his doubts and travails, Williams' dedication to the Corps emerges stubbornly Semper Fi. --Jerry McCulley

          Book Description

          A compelling look into the world of reservists--more than just the "spare parts" of our nation's military--as seen through one manís transformation from weekend warrior to combat marine

          In 1989, Buzz Williams walked into a marine recruiting office to follow in the footsteps of the deceased older brother he grew up idolizing by signing up to join the Marine Reserves. Over the course of the next year, he would earn money to pay his college tuition by devoting one weekend a month and two full weeks in the summer to the grueling and often dangerous rigors of military training, while enduring the jarring readjustment that occurred each time he returned to civilian life.

          But Williams had no idea that even the newest reservists could find themselves on the frontlines of a battlefield in a matter of weeks. On August 2, 1990--the day that he graduated from Light Armored Vehicle School--Saddam Hussein's forces invaded Kuwait, and Williams' life would change forever.

          Spare Parts tells the story of Williams' harrowing deployment to the Persian Gulf, where he would be thrust into battle only 38 days after being called up. Enduring both the condescension of full-time Marines and the danger of his limited training, he managed to form a core group that the struggles to gain respect from a military machine that viewed them as mere "spare parts." In gripping, you-are-there detail, Williams brings to life the physical and emotional trials he would face on the killing fields of Kuwait--where some of the woefully underprepared Marines are able to rise to the challenge and others are broken by the horrors of battle.

          A powerful portrait of one man's experience in battle--and of the reservists who stand ready to leave civilian life to defend our nation at a moment's notice--SPARE PARTS adds a moving new perspective to the literature of war.

          Download Description

          "A compelling look into the world of reservists--more than just the ""spare parts"" of our nation's military--as seen through one manís transformation from weekend warrior to combat marine In 1989, Buzz Williams walked into a marine recruiting office to follow in the footsteps of the deceased older brother he grew up idolizing by signing up to join the Marine Reserves. Over the course of the next year, he would earn money to pay his college tuition by devoting one weekend a month and two full weeks in the summer to the grueling and often dangerous rigors of military training, while enduring the jarring readjustment that occurred each time he returned to civilian life. But Williams had no idea that even the newest reservists could find themselves on the frontlines of a battlefield in a matter of weeks. On August 2, 1990--the day that he graduated from Light Armored Vehicle School--Saddam Hussein's forces invaded Kuwait, and Williams' life would change forever. Spare Parts tells the story of Williams' harrowing deployment to the Persian Gulf, where he would be thrust into battle only 38 days after being called up. Enduring both the condescension of full-time Marines and the danger of his limited training, he managed to form a core group that the struggles to gain respect from a military machine that viewed them as mere ""spare parts."" In gripping, you-are-there detail, Williams brings to life the physical and emotional trials he would face on the killing fields of Kuwait--where some of the woefully underprepared Marines are able to rise to the challenge and others are broken by the horrors of battle. A powerful portrait of one man's experience in battle--and of the reservists who stand ready to leave civilian life to defend our nation at a moment's notice--SPARE PARTS adds a moving new perspective to the literature of war."

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Excellent Book.......2007-02-09

          As a Marine Vietnam vet, who served four years in the regular Marine Corps, and later another six in the reserves, I appreciated Buzz Williams's honesty. Here you will get the good and the bad. He's still a Gung Ho Marine, but he doesn't gloss over the frustrations and SANFUs of military life. Well worth reading.

          Robert A. Hall
          Author of "The Good Bits."

          5 out of 5 stars Serious Page Turner!.......2006-02-09

          Buzz Williams has written an impressive and highly readable account detailing his life as a Marine Reservist. Williams is definitely a fantastic writer, and I was totally impressed with his skill to communicate and articulate so well.

          The entire book is great, and I especially liked his account of boot-camp and his personal feelings about the Marine Corps. He does an excellent job at portraying emotion and thought. It's funny to hear about some of the dysfunctions and frustrations of the unit, and his reserve life in general. Some of the best writing dealt with the conflict with the Marines in the unit. It's also helpful Williams articulated so well the difficulty of transitioning from Marine to civilian so often.

          My brother is a Marine Reservist whose unit has been to Iraq for combat several times, which is probably why I wanted to read the book. I am glad Williams has told his story and updated us so well with his life at the conclusion of his time in the Marines. In conclusion this book is probably the best publication I have read this year and would encourage others to delve into his account.

          5 out of 5 stars Excellent .. a very enjoyable book.......2005-05-05

          I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought the author's writing style was excellent and I was never bored at any point. I really thought it gave a complete picture . . . from Buzz's childhood fantasies of being a marine to his relecting on the experience as a veteran of the '91 gulf war (while watching the recent Iraq war unfold).
          I thought Buzz did a good job telling the good, the bad and the ugly of his entire experience. I love that he gave praise where it seems to have been deserved, and chastised the nimrods he met.

          5 out of 5 stars Excellent Memoir of Reserve Life.......2005-01-05

          Spare Parts is a first-rate book on life in the Marine Corps Reserves as well as life in a modern war environment.

          This book intrigued me as I had great interest in joining a military reserve unit. The book is a memoir of Corporal Buzz Williams, a Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) operator/gunner in the Marine Corps Reserves. The book is a thorough summary of Cpl. Williams' experience in the Marine Corps reserves, mostly covering boot camp, MOS training, weekend drills, and deployment in Operation Desert Storm.

          The book gives a high level overview of Cpl. Williams' boot camp experience. I found this section neat, but I have seen much more thorough accounts of boot camp in other places. I thought the book really picked up after boot camp. I had found few if any accounts of reservist life and life in modern warfare. Cpl. Williams discusses the experience of MOS training, including the shortcomings of the training the military provided in LAV school. The chapters on the weekend drills I thought were invaluable to a potential reservist. This book is the first place I found an excellent, written account of what a training weekend is like. Finally, the end of the book discussed what life during a modern war is like and what it is like to come home afterward. The writing of Cpl. Williams is frank and discusses both the positives and negatives of military life and military procedures.

          The book is a quick and an easy read. I would highly recommend this book to people considering potentially enlisting in the military reserves. The book sheds a sobering light on reservist life that I thought really helped me see the military from another perspective. I would also highly recommend this book to persons interested in military memoirs or life in the military.

          5 out of 5 stars Towgunner Chimes In.......2004-12-27

          As a member of D Company, during its Desert Storm/Shield deployment, this book brought back a lot of memories, good and bad. I enjoyed it very much and thank Buzz for writing it.

          What astounds me is the bashing that Buzz has endured as a result of committing his memories to paper. Obviously some people who weren't portrayed as Chesty Pullers in the book now feel somewhat marginalized. Not everyone was a Force Recon operator guys. We were a reserve company attached to a battalion whose commanding officer didn't really have much time for reservists. We did the best job we could with the equipment we had and in the end we brought everyone home. Not everyone liked everyone else. There were conflicts and politics and everyone will remember it in a different and unique way. Why denigrate a fellow marine simply because his recollection of events does not exactly match yours? I personally don't understand all the uproar from other company members such as the self proclaimed "Delta Marine" among others. Anyone who served in the Corps and spent time at "Leguene" is somewhat suspect in my opinion. Crawl back into Capt P.'s turret. You should've written your own book.

          Good job Buzz. It took courage to do this and I commend you. Well written and highly recommended.

          S/F
          0352 Out.

          Books:

          1. Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank
          2. Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862
          3. Silent Warfare: Understanding the World of Intelligence, 3d Edition
          4. Slaughterhouse: The Handbook of the Eastern Front
          5. SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam
          6. Stonewall Jackson: The Black Man's Friend
          7. Suite Française
          8. The Battle Between the Farm Lanes: Hancock Saves the Union Center: Gettysburg July 2, 1863 (Discovering Civil War America Series, V. 4)
          9. The Battle for the Falklands
          10. The Battle for the Falklands

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