Books

Tales from the Red Pump

130 Years of Northland Wisconsin Family Adventures (2009)

Tales from the Red Pump recounts stories from 130 years of Northland Wisconsin family adventures, challenges, and joys. These wide-ranging Tales provide glimpses of human and natural history in our changing northern, Lake Superior area environment.
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Red Pump Chronicles

130 Years of Northland Adventures (annotated compilation) (2020)

Red Pump Chronicles, 130 years of Northland adventures, is the new, exciting collection of all four volumes of the Tales from the Red Pump series by Wisconsin author, Thomas Wayne King. Be inspired by and thrill to Tom’s stories, songs, essays and poems of over a century of joys, loves, challenges and wild adventures in this rugged, western Lake Superior Northland of the U.S. and Canada. Tom writes of people, animals, events, weather, history and daily quirks that shape forest lives near the Red Pump in this pristine paradise. Volumes included in King’s portrayal of rural, northern life are: 1. Tales from the Red Pump 2. Sailor of the Sun 3. Neighborhood of Bears 4. Magic Snow Socks
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Add Human

Human Factors & Ergonomics for All of Us (2022)

Humans use tools. When we succeed with a new device, we are encouraged and feel empowered. When we make errors with a tool or technology or give up or get hurt because we cannot figure it out, we blame ourselves. We feel stupid and defeated. Current human factors and ergonomics research and practice in engineering and design explores, describes and seeks to improve all matchups of human plus tech. Tools and technologies, simple to complex, are valuable only as we experience effective, safe use without undue errors or discouragement. From toothbrushes to laptops to spacecraft, celebrated devices are of limited value if people do not successfully interact with them. Basic awareness and knowledge of human factors and ergonomics in daily life are important for everyone, regardless of challenges, age, or abilities. Technologies of all types may appear useful, but their true worth emerges only as we ADD HUMAN.


Writing with Lightning

Wonder and magic of telegraph codes (2022)

Lightning is fast. Could information and messages also travel in an instant? Long before the speed of light was established, semaphore flags, signal fires and loud sounds conveyed news for those within range of sight and hearing. Throughout time, diverse cultures developed ways to further speed up message transmission and reception over long distances. Information was carried by ship, swift runners moving in relays, or by carrier pigeons, canoeists, horse riders, or bottles with notes. But quick-as-lightning communication over expansive territory, nations and continents remained a dream. In the early 1800s, Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail elaborated on known coding methods, connecting the world through electromagnetic telegraphy. President Lincoln referred to telegraphy as “lightning messages.” Writing with lightning became the realization and conduit of instantaneous global communication. Join author Thomas Wayne King as he connects historic dots, dashes and signals to continuing new uses for….and the wonder and magic of telegraph codes.
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Assistive Technology: Essential Human Factors

(1999)

The Information Age has transformed the way in which humans communicate and interact with each other in almost every aspect. This new relationship between humans and technology has been an added convenience for some, and a sheer blessing for others; for those with physical and communication impairments, modern-day technology has transformed daily living into a journey toward capability instead of disability. In its examination of assistive technology, this book serves as an essential resource for clinicians, product developers, families and individuals as they recommend, select, purchase, design, and use assistive technology. Combining real experience and academic research, King examines how humans can adapt to machinery and increase the acceptance, effectiveness, and efficiency of technology. This book investigates how psychological factors (such as fear, stress, rejection, etc.) can affect the efficiency of assistive technology. Product developers, speech pathologists, audiologists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation counselors, special educators, nurses, and businesses. A Longwood Professional Book


Modern Morse Code in Education and Rehabilitation

New applications in assistive technology (2000)

Modern Morse Code in Rehabilitation and Education is designed to acquaint new learners with Morse Code and its clinical uses, while providing in-depth coverage of topics, detailed descriptions, examples, and explanations that will meet the needs of professionals. The author explains how basic body movements can be used to convey information to listeners and computer devices that translate Morse movements into speech, text, and graphics. In addition to covering the history and background of Morse Code, this book contains specific instructions on how to teach, learn, and use Morse and other encoding methods in clinical settings. This book also contains and describes many practical teaching aids and methods. For readers interested in the use of Morse Code in a clinical setting.


Noon at the Nerd Table

Tales and essays for the curious, passionate, and intense (2022)

Noon at the Nerd Table – Book 2
In progress for 2024 release.

Nerds. Geeks. Dorks. DweebsYou’ve met us. You know us.

You may already be one. We know you’ll understand.

Welcome to Noon at the Nerd Table.

We nerdish folks of all ages and genders may be socially awkward, studious, intense individuals. We pursue our curiosity and passions in-depth, sometimes to excess in the eyes of others. Yet we chuckle at this amazing, always-intriguing world, and at our own keen obsessions and fascinations.

Enjoy these unique tales and essays as you consider new and interesting angles, ideas, connections and facts.

And watch out. Nerdism can be contagious. Geek Chic Rules!
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Magic Snow Socks

Tales of practical transcendence (2019-2020)

Magic Snow Socks! Tales of people and animals who adapt and overcome. Magic Snow Socks will encourage, inspire and transform you with moving stories of animals and humans who transcend real-life challenges. These memorable true tales and essays, plus fictional stories and poems, entertain and tell of overcoming difficulties. Even deep, cold winter offers unique possibilities for rugged adventures and lasting memories as Magic Snow Socks recalls whimsy and wonders of pristine new-fallen snow, with other real and imagined Northland lore and legend of triumph in difficult circumstances. These stories, poems, tales and essays will touch your heart and make you think. Magic Snow Socks is about divergent thinking in times of peril. Often, a creative, effective solution exists if we can envision it. Get ready to see new ways of approaching life’s many obstacles as you read of practical miracles. Magic Snow Socks is volume 4 in Thomas Wayne King’s Tales from the Red Pump series
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Oh My Gosh… Have We Got Squash

Rhymes, raps and tales from gardens and farms.   (2022)     

(Cowritten by Thomas Wayne King and Debra Raye King)

Gardens and farms often yield well. Sometimes they don’t. But they always require skills, patience, work…and much dedication. Here are thirty offerings of rhymes, raps, essays and tales that bring you to the wild, idyllic worlds of Sunny Cove Farm, Hilltop Farm, and other special places where magic and wonder abound in all seasons. Herb E. Vore, their imaginary editor and coach, inspired and harvested these unique pieces from the works of Debra Raye King and Thomas Wayne King. Sunny Cove Farm, where Debbi and Tom raise and tend their wool flock of Registered Icelandic Sheep, is featured, as well as their old-growth forest homestead, and life on Debbi’s family Hilltop Farm, a dairy operation. Critters and chlorophyll colleagues come alive with these authors’ skilled touches, providing unique readings of active rural lives now and in the past.
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Neighborhood of Bears

Essays, tales, notes, stories, history (2008-2018)

We live active lives in this deep-forest neighborhood, as we watch our local Bears. And Bears live active lives here, too, as they watch their local people. Our inviting, shared, pristine Neighborhood of Bears is home to all of us. Bears affect our lives here, and are in the background of life for all we do each day in rural northern Wisconsin. Some are Black Bears. Some are Bears of whimsy, friends of our imagination. Bears can be frightening. They can also be good Northland citizens and neighbors, along with the many other critters and humans of our wild Lake Superior region. Get acquainted with the stories of people, history, animals, and the wonderful, daily-shared critter adventures in our rugged, usually-peaceful Neighborhood of Bears! This is volume 3 in King’s Tales from the Red Pump series.
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Sailor of the Sun

Lyrics, raps, rhymes and poems from the Northland (2001-2019)

Sailor of the Sun! From Lake Superior shores, here are Sixty raps, rhymes, verses, lyrics, and songs for our pristine, wild Lake Superior world. Poems of people, critters, seasons, joys and conflicts in cold and heat, winter and summer, lakes and forests of our changing northern home. Author-skier-farmer Thomas Wayne King amuses and inspires with his quirky, diverse words of demanding outdoor lives in all rugged seasons. These rhymes and tunes will linger with you!
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Trash Picker: Danger on a Tropical Beach

Book 1 (2020-2022) King writing as T.K. Royden

After two decades of special-ops service, primarily in the high, cold mountains of Afghanistan, Sergeant Delton L. Remson, “Remmy” to his friends, a skier and snowboarder originally from Idaho, pursues his simpler life on a tropical beach. He is worn out from war. His idyllic oceanside village and secluded campsite become more dangerous each tourist season. Nefarious traffic on nearby sea lanes makes Remmy emerge as beach guardian. He monitors sugar-sand shores as he picks up aluminum cans for extra cash, becoming special protector of Bud and Daphne, his elderly immigrant friends. Dear Claire, so far away, is always in his thoughts. Then he meets mysterious Sanghee, thwarting a brutal attack and falling into a world of peril.

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Trash Picker: Danger North

Book 2 (2020-2022) King writing as T. K. Royden

Trash Picker: Return to the Beach
Book 3 in progress for 2023 release
King writing as T. K. Royden

Violent challenges arise in Remmy’s once idyllic beach life. Still a survivor against all odds, Remmy is worn out from conflicts of all types. After twenty years of special-ops service, mostly in cold mountains of Afghanistan, retired Sergeant Delton L. Remson led his simpler life on the warm, once-pristine gulf coast for over two years. Now, his beautiful oceanside village and secluded campsite have changed due to nearby sea-lane traffic in illicit cargo. Nefarious activities influence his little coastal town as transit of drugs and weapons grows. Remmy, an active beach guardian, monitors brilliant white-sand shores, collecting strewn aluminum cans for extra cash. He protects others, especially Bud and Daphne, his elderly Haitian immigrant friends, and dear Claire, so far away, is always in his thoughts. After Remmy and mysterious friend Sanghee thwart a brutal beach attack, he falls into a world of peril. Soon, cruel family tragedies draw him back to his mountainside hometown in Idaho, while Remmy’s troubled heart fills with hope a lost love might be rekindled.
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