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Cryonics: A Sociology of Death and Bereavement
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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April 28, 2020
Well-researched, open-minded, and extremely transparent. Talks a fair amount about the sociological process, which I wasn't expecting but found interesting. The material on the early history of cryonics was particularly worthwhile.
She casts doubt on the conceptions of death of both Becker and on Kübler-Ross within the first few pages. Her idea is that cryonics belies "universal" claims about death. I appreciated this and have had this same thought many times over the years. Nearly everyone simply ignores cryonics.
Loses a point *for me* because of its focus on bereavement, which I wasn't as interested in. This is so unfair because it's literally in the title! Then again, I never said my book ratings were fair.
Notes and Quotes
The phoenix is a reasonable animal symbol for cryonics. With the hope is that people will one day be revived.
"The prospect of immortality should provide a strong damper on rash and impetuous action and anti-social behavior. National leaders will want to preserve their own skins and will be forced to take a longer view." - Ettinger, _The Prospect of Immortality_
"At least this way the worms won't get him." - One respondent who suspended her father, p 21
"For other survivors, their suspension of relatives represented their contribution to science. In cases such as this, the relative may be assumed to be less than dead but this designation is not so important to survivors as the fact that through participation in suspension, they can view themselves as pioneers in science." - p 22
"A requested suspension may not occur because relatives suppose that they would be stigmatized if others learned of their involvement in cryonics." - p 23
"No one listens to you once you're dead." - Curtis Henderson
Made a really good point about the effect of Ettinger being "an idea man" as opposed to someone interested in practical action.
"If you have a model airplane club, everyone makes model airplanes. In a political club, everyone goes out to try to get the votes to get a job out of it. These things all have activities that tend to hold the people together. They can all participate on some level. Cryonics is not something a whole bunch of people can do." - Curtis Henderson
She casts doubt on the conceptions of death of both Becker and on Kübler-Ross within the first few pages. Her idea is that cryonics belies "universal" claims about death. I appreciated this and have had this same thought many times over the years. Nearly everyone simply ignores cryonics.
Loses a point *for me* because of its focus on bereavement, which I wasn't as interested in. This is so unfair because it's literally in the title! Then again, I never said my book ratings were fair.
Notes and Quotes
The phoenix is a reasonable animal symbol for cryonics. With the hope is that people will one day be revived.
"The prospect of immortality should provide a strong damper on rash and impetuous action and anti-social behavior. National leaders will want to preserve their own skins and will be forced to take a longer view." - Ettinger, _The Prospect of Immortality_
"At least this way the worms won't get him." - One respondent who suspended her father, p 21
"For other survivors, their suspension of relatives represented their contribution to science. In cases such as this, the relative may be assumed to be less than dead but this designation is not so important to survivors as the fact that through participation in suspension, they can view themselves as pioneers in science." - p 22
"A requested suspension may not occur because relatives suppose that they would be stigmatized if others learned of their involvement in cryonics." - p 23
"No one listens to you once you're dead." - Curtis Henderson
Made a really good point about the effect of Ettinger being "an idea man" as opposed to someone interested in practical action.
"If you have a model airplane club, everyone makes model airplanes. In a political club, everyone goes out to try to get the votes to get a job out of it. These things all have activities that tend to hold the people together. They can all participate on some level. Cryonics is not something a whole bunch of people can do." - Curtis Henderson
Displaying 1 of 1 review