Freezing People is (Not) Easy

February 3, 2014
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, but those with just a passing interest will be better served waiting for the movie.

March 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

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
In the late 1960s, when Walt Disney passed away, an urban legend began circulating that the famous theme-park mogul's body had been frozen and stored in a vault until a distant future when medical wizardry might literally be able to raise the dead. According to cryonics pioneer Nelson, who sets the record straight here on his early career in the field and the devastating scandal that ended it, the rumor hatched entirely from one brief phone call in 1966 from a Disney associate asking about suspended animation when Nelson was president of the Cryonics Society of California (CSC). Due largely to Nelson's infectious enthusiasm, however, the CSC did achieve some real breakthroughs, such as cryogenically preserving the first human, Dr. James Bedford, who remains entombed in liquid nitrogen to this day. Shortly thereafter, when CSC's funding dried up and corpses thawed, Nelson was taken to court by bereaved relatives. Nelson tells his side of the story with disarming wit and candor while providing an absorbing history of a still very controversial practice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)