Robert Ettinger is one of the finest, most intelligent and, equally important, one of the most determined individuals I have ever known. Down through the years, he toiled with Herculean like effort at solving the most difficult problem in the entire field of cryonics. That problem is how to sell the wonderful concept that he had thought up. His efforts and the integrity and intellectual honesty with which he pursued them will always serve as an example for those of us who have followed him in leadership positions throughout the various cryonics organizations. It is my firm opinion that our ultimate and, in my view, inevitable success will always be due, in large part, to the efforts of Professor Ettinger to continue to press onwards no matter what the odds, no matter what the present state of public opinion, and no matter what the naysayers might have to say.

We have established a "cryonics beachhead", if you will, somewhat analogous to the beachhead that the brave and determined soldiers of the "Greatest Generation" established after the invasion at Normandy on D-Day in World War II. After that invasion and the establishment of that fragile beachhead, the Third Reich was, in essence, doomed. In the same way, our own beachhead against disease, death and aging, has also been established and though there are battles unquestionably ahead, at this point, with the combined efforts of IS, CI, CS, Alcor, SA, ACS and the other divisions of the cryonics "army", our ultimate success is assured. Our continued efforts and dedication will be necessary to bring us to the point of our ultimate victory.

And yet, the problem remains that we are still, in spite of Professor Ettinger's efforts, and in spite of all of the rest of our efforts, a relatively minor group in the overall scheme of things. The toughest job in cryonics, then, is how to sell this concept to the public at large. Over the coming months, I hope to have a series of articles run in long life, both from the archives of IS and /or other cryonics organizations, and also from present thinking on how to go about solving what is both the most difficult and, yet, one of the most important problems in cryonics. While I am far from an expert in the area of marketing, I do believe that some of the example of Professor Ettinger's efforts will serve us well in our efforts to move forward.

First, there is the matter of Integrity. As the saying goes, a house built on sand will not stand. Similarly, any concept that one tries to put forward without a strong foundation of integrity cannot, in the long run, succeed. In the example of the Third Reich, in spite of its rise to domination of a nation in the very heart of Europe and in spite of its deranged leader's claims of a thousand years as the time it would endure, its foundation was based on lies, deceit, and murder and its ultimate demise, in retrospect, should be of surprise to no one. In our efforts to promote cryonics, our every move must be one based on a solid foundation of integrity, else we too will see the demise of a concept that is literally world changing in its implications.

The second quality we must continue to have is Determination. The "cryonics beachhead" mentioned earlier has indeed been established but, like the efforts of the WWII soldiers after the establishment of the beachhead at Normandy, plenty of grit and determination will be necessary in the efforts and battles ahead. People who are opposed to our concept aren't simply going to throw in the towel because we are convinced of the righteousness of our viewpoint. Though there are probably going to be times ahead that will test our resolve and require our courage and though there will be times in which it will be difficult to see the path ahead, we cannot and must not, under any circumstances, give up on our continuing efforts to advance cryonics. Lives literally depend on it, not only our own, but the lives of loved ones and friends as well.

Third, there is the virtue of Truth. Integrity is being loyal to what you believe is true. Truth, at least in its empirical form, is going where the evidence leads you, whether you like it or not. Since early on the evidence, as outlined in Robert Ettinger's classic work, The Prospect of Immortality, has been strong and has, thankfully, only gotten stronger down through the years. The work and writings of Eric Drexler and other individuals like Ralph Merkle in the field of nanotechnology have greatly buttressed the original argument. Instead of being thought of as either crooks or buffoons as pictured in decades past in some areas of the press and elsewhere, continued scientific development can only help in our efforts to convince others that what we are doing and what we believe in are, in the final analysis, the most rational and sensible thing that any human being could engage in. Even more important, continued scientific development brings us ever closer and ever closer to the day when patients who are now in cryonic suspension will, in that beautiful phrase from Professor Ettinger's original work "drink the wine of centuries unborn".

Finally, there is Diplomacy. The reality is that , other than perhaps in a court of law, no one wins "an argument" but one can only truly win in a reasoned discussion in which people are willing to be convinced. Too many times in my past attempts to "spread the gospel", if you will, of cryonics, I have done it with all too much of an attempt to browbeat the listener into submission. Considering myself to be a "logical" person, I just couldn't seem to understand why folks didn't respond with enthusiasm to what seemed like an obvious truth to me. People are funny creatures and all of us, myself included, tend to react negatively to any idea that we feel is being "crammed down our throat", no matter what its merits.. It behooves each of us to continue to follow, to the degree that each of our talents and time allow, Professor Ettinger's example of integrity, determination, truth, and diplomacy and to view each of ourselves as a representative of the great idea that he has put forward.

In closing, then, Integrity, Determination, Truth, and Diplomacy are the "watchwords" of anyone who wants to tackle the "toughest job in cryonics".