Frozen: My Journey into the World of Cryonics, Deception, and Death [Hardcover]

Larry Johnson (Author), Scott Baldyga (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009

At first, the job as clinical director at Alcor Life Extension Foundation was an exciting change for veteran paramedic Larry Johnson: a well-funded research facility pushing the limits of modern biotech. But as he gained the trust of his eccentric coworkers and was promoted to acting COO, Larry was thrust into a nightmare world of scandalous controversy, gruesome practices, and deadly secrets.

One secret Larry unearthed was the full, tragic, never-before-heard story of what truly happened to the body of baseball icon and American hero Ted Williams.

Compelled by this and other horrific discoveries, Larry began copying documents, taking secret pictures, and ultimately wearing a wire every day at Alcor. He started living two lives—“Alcorian” by day, whistleblower by night.

Beyond the senseless animal experiments, beyond the dumping of toxic chemicals and AIDS-contaminated blood into the public sewage system, these people saw themselves as the elite, the immortal saviors of mankind who would lead us into the future. Inside this cultlike mentality, anything seemed justified. Maybe even murder.

Then Alcor found out. The death threats began.

 

Fleeing from state to state, Larry was stalked and threatened again and again. They chased him through the streets. They left death threats under his windshield wipers. They terrorized his family. Larry Johnson never wanted to be a whistleblower. But he knows this story must be told.

 

Written in Larry’s own memorable voice, illustrated with never-before-seen photographs from inside Alcor, and verified by actual transcripts of his “secret recordings,” Frozen reads like a medical thriller—but every word is shockingly true.

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Larry Johnson has over thirty years experience as a street paramedic and clinical director for major city 911 services. He was chief flight paramedic at the Waco, Texas, siege, has served as keynote speaker at national medical conferences, and was a contributing author for Prentice Hall’s 2005 Critical Care Paramedic, the most widely used textbook of its kind. After blowing the whistle on Alcor in late 2003 and receiving multiple death threats, Larry went into hiding.

 

Scott Baldyga grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts, graduated from Boston College, then spent four years as a volunteer, teacher, and professional musician in Kingston, Jamaica. Living in Los Angeles since 1996, Scott has written screenplays for hire and has worked as a writer, script supervisor, editor, and composer for film and TV. Frozen is his first book.

From AudioFile

Narrator William Dufris seems so comfortable reading about freezing people's bodies and heads for later reanimation that it takes scant imagination to hear him as the principal author. His energetic and upbeat manner belies this grisly documentary, which exposes an industry that preys on people's hope that they can return from the dead. Author Larry Johnson, a paramedic with 25 years of experience, joined a cryonics firm, only to discover that the staff performed unrequested euthanasia, dumped their leftovers into storm drains, and warehoused Ted Williams's frozen remains against his prior wishes. What started as a new career became this audiobook, a whistle-blower's exposé of alleged malicious deception. Making light of dying can prove tricky, but Dufris strikes just the right tone to have it all work. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 424 pages
• Publisher: Vanguard Press (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593155603
• ISBN-13: 978-1593155605
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Plausibility Rests in the Even Hand, October 22, 2009

By 

Dingo - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frozen: My Journey into the World of Cryonics, Deception, and Death (Hardcover)

There seems to be a need to qualify oneself in order for their reviews to be taken seriously regarding this book. So, for the record, I am neither an Alcorian or a cryonics basher. If that's good enough, here's my say:

I find it hard to believe Mr. Johnson. Why? Because the man doesn't have a single good thing to say about anyone or anything associated with Alcor at any point in his association with the organization (save for one engineer.) Normally in a whistle blower memoir we're introduced to someone who goes through stages. First they are a stalwart member of their organization (maybe a little naive but a believer nonetheless.) Then a hint of trouble arises. Then the trouble gets larger. Finally, near the apex of the story, we discover that all is definitely not well and the whistle blower wrestles with the moral obligation to bring down their associates.

From the beginning of this book, even before Mr. Johnson accepts Alcor's offer of employment, he makes the organization out to be a gaggle of physical freaks and comical caricatures. The office is filthy. The employees all look sickly and behave neurotically. There's dangerous, possibly illegal stuff in the supply cabinet that shouldn't be there. Red flags abound. Yet Mr Johnson signs on anyway. Why? So he can get away from his burn-out gig as a Vegas paramedic and live closer to his dad. Really?

Mr. Johnson is clearly a man with a long resume who would be sought after for his medical experience in a wide variety of fields. Why does he go to work for Alcor even after an interview he seems to equate with a visit to a mental ward? Why go to work for this gaggle of freaks who appear to have skeletons in their closet and red flags around every corner just so he can move to be near his dad?

As someone who relies heavily on common sense, I just don't buy Mr. Johnson's story. He absolutely loathes these people from page one. From the moment he meets them. From the second he approaches their offices. Loathes them. Each and every freakish caricature in the building. Loathes them.

What happened with Mr. Ted Williams' head is neither here nor there for me. If Mr. Johnson wanted to convince me that this story was true, he failed in the most important aspect a writer can: he failed to convince me that *he* is true. By the fourth chapter I became so mesmerized by his repetitive insults and ghoulish descriptions of the Alcor staff that I kept wondering if I had lost my place or if my bookmark had shifted in the night to an earlier chapter that I was re-reading over and over.

Mr. Johnson does not like Alcor. That is the story of this book. Period. If that sounds like a good read to you, by all means buy this book. If you assume that such a high profile book such as this would naturally be well balanced and intellectually-stimulating, think again.

50 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I WAS THE NURSE/I WAS THERE See 10/20/10 Fifth Amendment Answers by Johnson. I rest my case this book is not honest., November 11, 2009

By 

Ronald Hennes RN "CoastMedRN" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frozen: My Journey into the World of Cryonics, Deception, and Death (Hardcover)

Very interesting book. However, the part where it is claimed the death of the patient in North Hollywood was "hastened" by an Alcor staff member is simply untrue. I was the RN caring for the patient that night and he died of natural causes. His body was turned over to Alcor per the prior arrangements (the patient and his partner with Alcor) after I declared he had expired. At no time have I ever been a member of Alcor nor been in their employ. And at no time did anyone other then myself administer any medications to the patient that night that I am aware of and I do not believe it possible that this could have been done. When I observed and documented that he had no pulse, no respirations, and no heartbeat I concluded he had expired. The authors of the book never contacted me. I was interviewed by detectives from the LAPD several years ago when these charges were first made and I told them what I am writing in this review. UPDATE: This "book" did very poor in sales and is available for 1 penny in some outlets which is a penny more then it is worth. So much inaccurate and false information has been put forward about the "author" in terms of his experience and background. Contributing "author" to a paramedic book portrayed as "the" authoritative book for paramedics. Actually, writing a few paragraphs which I guess is considered a contributing "author" of a textbook. And we are still waiting for how to access the police reports on all of those incidents where people in the dark banged on his door, chased him through streets, and threatened and terrorized him. Did he contact any police agency? Going into "hiding" as a paramedic in Las Vegas is quite a "hiding". And still asking for sources for the other "gigs" on his resume that defy validation by googling. All in all the book is poorly written, alot of false information that was poorly researched and key individuals involved in the care of the patient in North Hollywood were never interviewed apparently because it would destroy one of the central claims in the book and doubtful the book could have been sold to a publisher if the truth had been told instead of using the false information that gives excitement and mystery to this boring read. It seems anybody can write a "book" these days as long as fiction is passed off as nonfiction and some third rate publishing house can crank out a hardcover. At least the movie deal fell by the wayside to spare us that calamity. Best riding the back of an ambulance after a one hit wonder flop. So if you read the "book" don't believe everything you read as they say.

38 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Who to Believe?, October 12, 2009

By 

OrangeCrush "Still shooting with Film!" (Farmington Hills, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Frozen: My Journey into the World of Cryonics, Deception, and Death (Hardcover)

After hearing about Ted Williams I simply had to read this book and while I initially believed what the Author was saying, I have since come to have serious doubts whether or not a lot of it is true. Alcor made a statement on their website regarding this book and its allegations and in all honesty they raise some legitimate issues. In particular is the fact that the author has tried to profit from all of this on numerous occasions. If the information really is true then it is a shame that Mr Johnson has taken the route he has releasing it to the public. For example putting the Ted Williams pictures on a website and trying to charge people [...] a pop so they can see them is..., well lets just say that this in itself does so much damage to Mr Johnson's credability that you really have no choice but to paint all of his statments and accusations with this same brush. It makes Mr Johnson appear to be an opportunist and in all honesty if he is willing to do the website thing then why shouldn't we believe that he is capable of lying to increase the shock value of his book thus making it sell more copies?

Do I believe that some of it is true? absolutely. Why else would Alcor get a court order against Mr. Johnson prohibiting him from releasing any additional information. Obviously he has information that can hurt Alcor and he has proof to back at least some of it up. This, combined with his poor choices, is one of the reasons why I am beginning to have my doubts about some of his accusations. The fact that Mr Johnson has real info that hurts alcor gives him the ability to make things up and it gives people a reason for believing such statements after all if he is telling the truth on statement A, why shouldn't we believe him on statement B? Johnson knows that Alcors image is already going to be severely damaged so there will be very little reason for people to believe any denials coming out of Alcor. It basically gives him the ability to lie and get away with it. Whether or not that's what he actually did is anyone's guess. The fact that he was all about making as much money as possible on this can definitely be used to argue that this is what he did.

Again I have no doubt that some of whats in this book is true. Its just a shame that Mr Johnson was more concerned about making money than he was about actually blowing the whistle on this company. It winds up damaging his credability thus it damages the book itself. Had he simply released this info to the public without trying to make money, well lets just say his argument would hold a lot more water and I wouldn't be sitting here questioning everything I just read, at least not as much as I am now.

The bottom line is I now have very little respect for everyone involved including Mr. Johnson. In other words I don't know who to believe. I still recommend reading this book, the difference now is that I recommend going to your library and checking out a copy instead of buying a copy and thus putting more money into Mr. Johnson's pockets.