X-Message-Number: 11895 Date: Sat, 05 Jun 1999 17:28:14 +0100 From: (John de Rivaz) Subject: Promoting cryonics using books I wonder if it is a good idea to promote cryonics to someone by giving them a series of books, and I put the idea up for discussion. Anyone tried it? Has it worked? What books are best? With Amazon.com it is possible to send books to other people at the click of a mouse, and they now have branches in most countries so postage is less of a problem. I would suggest to start with some books that are not directly about cryonics, and have added a list at the end of this message. The main problems seems to be to ensure that they read the books offered. "Free is worthless" is a thought that comes to mind. Of course you may end up being targeted with books with titles like "I was abducted by an Alien Goddess", "You have lived before", "The Bible", "Foretell your future from the position of the stars" or some commentary on them. Unfortunately there are for more people convinced without guarantee that all of this is true than there are people convinced of the good sense of taking the unguaranteed cryonics option. If targeted with a series of alien abduction books, for example, how would you get out of reading them? Does this suggest how a recipient of cryonics books may react? I hope cryonet people find this topic of interest to discuss. ** list** As starters, books like The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0345409469/longevitybooksA/ If you think that there is any truth in the myriad of unprovable (or un-disprovable) beliefs around the world concerning a natural post mortem existence, then read this book. and The Fabric of Reality by David Deutsch http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0713990619/longevitybooksA/ Another classic, and also highly entertaining and readable. Do you know that it is physically impossible simulate certain things in virtual reality? So if you think this world is a computer simulation, then read on. This author too carefully explains away some widely held beliefs about a natural afterlife. and The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0192860925/longevitybooksA/ This science fact classic really needs no introduction, except again it teaches rational thought as opposed to blind faith. This could be interspersed with some works of science fiction, such as The First Immortal by James Halperin http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0345420926/longevitybooksA/ This novel is destined to become a classic. After reading it many people may be encouraged to make cryopreservation arrangements. If your target has really read all of the books you send, only then give something like The Prospect of Immortality http://www.cryonics.org/book1.html or a gift subscription to The Immortalist and/or Cryonics -- Sincerely, John de Rivaz Homepage: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JohndeR Longevity Report: http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Sauna/3748/lr.htm Fractal Report: http://www.longevb.demon.co.uk/fr.htm PCS - a Singles listing sheet for people in Cornwall http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JohndeR/pcs.htm Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=11895