Freezing People Is (Not) Easy: My Adventures In Cryonics - Hardcover

Opening with a melodramatic scene in which Nelson, known for his pioneering role in the cryonics movement, shrugs off his wife's admonition to leave things be ('it's time to face my demons,' he says), co-author Bly's introduction sets the tone for a ponderous attempt by Nelson to set the record straight. The guilt that hangs over Nelson for the rest of the book is due to a lawsuit, and the news stories that accompanied it at the end of Nelson's run as the President of the Cryonics Society of California (CSC), a nonprofit whose goal was to educate as well as freeze customers in the hopes of bringing them back to life when a cure could one day be found for their ailments. When Nelson first became obsessed with the cryonics, he was elated to find a like-minded group eager to make the concept a reality. Collaborations with scientists followed, culminating in the freezing of Dr. James Bedford, whose body was briefly stored in a garage until it was moved to a mortuary. The CSC began accepting other customers, many of whom were likely not aware of the almost comedic methods of transporting bodies in Nelson's pickup, frantic runs for dry ice to keep the bodies frozen, leaking capsules, and other malfunctions. Readers whose only knowledge of cryonics involves Walt Disney will appreciate the scientific logic and Nelson's overview of the procedures involved. * Publishers Weekly * "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

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.