Freezing People Is (Not) Easy: My Adventures in Cryonics

by Bob Nelson, Kenneth Bly, Sally Magana

Overview

Bob Nelson was no ordinary T.V. repairman. One day he discovered a book that ultimately changed his entire life trajectory --The Prospect of Immortality by Professor Robert Ettinger. From it, he learned about cryonics: a process in which the body temperature is lowered during the beginning of the dying process to keep the brain intact, so that those frozen could potentially be reanimated in the future.

               A world of possibilities unfolded for Nelson, as he relentlessly pursued cryonics and became the founder and President of the Cryonics Society of California. Working in coalition with a biophysicist, in 1967 Nelson orchestrated the freezing of Dr. James Bedford, the first human to be placed in cryonic suspension. Soon thereafter he began freezing others who sought his help, obtaining special capsules and an underground vault. Underfunded, Nelson struggled desperately, often dipping into his own savings, and taking extraordinary measures to maintain his patients in a frozen state. His fascinating memoir reveals his irrepressible passion for life and chronicles the complicated circumstances that comprised his adventures in cryonics.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493007790
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/18/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Bob Nelson was the president of the first Cryonics Society of California, launched in 1966. He appeared on Regis Philbin and Phil Donahue. He froze the first man in 1967 and he is the author of We Froze the First Man, published in 1968. He was an electronic repairman for many years in Los Angeles, where he has now retired.

Table of Contents

Introduction Kenneth Bly vii

Chapter 1 Growing Up Bob Nelson 1

Chapter 2 My Moment of Transformation 21

Chapter 3 A TV Repairman Takes the Reins 30

Chapter 4 Man Becomes Immortal 42

Chapter 5 The Early Pioneers 53

Chapter 6 The Vault 70

Chapter 7 Lost Hope 83

Chapter 8 Newfound Hope 89

Chapter 9 Second Chances 95

Chapter 10 The East Coast Cryotorium 107

Chapter 11 I Needed the Money 115

Chapter 12 Vacuum and Vanity 123

Chapter 13 Even with Cryonics, There Is No Escaping Hell 130

Chapter 14 The End of the Dream 143

Chapter 15 The Trial 153

Chapter 16 Appeal and Settlement 195

Chapter 17 Closed Doors, Opened Windows 200

Chapter 18 Ted Williams-The Story of One Recent Suspension 209

Chapter 19 The Conclusion 214

Epilogue 222

Afterword R. C. W. Ettinger 235

Acknowledgments 244

About the Authors 246

Editorial Reviews

"The conquest of outer space and the conquest of mortality. Bob Nelson's odyssey is a quintessential American story––a story about frontiers, exploration, and dreams. Part inventor, part futurist, part entrepreneur, Bob Nelson set out to show that death––even if it could not be defied––could be challenged. A story of unexpected, unintended, and remarkable consequences. A rich morality tale. But ultimately, a story about how the seemingly far-fetched ideas of the past can become a vision of the future." —Errol Morris, film director

From the Publisher

03/15/2014
Nelson (We Froze the First Man) offers a firsthand account of cryonics from its inception in the 1960s. As a TV repairman with no prior education on the subject, Nelson nevertheless became deeply involved in cryonics, or the practice of freezing bodies in the hope of resuscitating them at some future time when their mortal diseases may be cured. The author led the Cryonics Society of California, and froze the first man, woman, and child in human history. He took responsibility for maintaining several frozen patients at his cryonics vault in Chatsworth, CA, but, owing to limited funds, he abandoned the project, becoming the subject of controversy in the 1980s when his clients sued him for misrepresentation. His book provides insight into the financial and emotional costs of cryonics. However, it comments only briefly on matters outside Nelson's scope—the scientific nuances of cryonics, arguments against the practice, and the broader historical context. VERDICT Nelson presents an absorbing glimpse into his personal contradictions and motivations; this is not an objective study of cyronics. There may be demand for this book as its release is timed with a movie starring Paul Rudd about Nelson's efforts. Serious readers may wish to supplement this account with others to understand better the legal, ethical, philosophical, and scientific context surrounding cryonics.—Talea Anderson, College Place, WA

Library Journal