Empire of pain is an incredible deep dive into the origins of the opioid crisis and the family behind it going back decades. This book was engrossing, enlightening and tragic. ( )

Excellent investigation into the family behind OxyContin and the subsequent opioid epidemic. Patrick Radden Keefe is an excellent long form journalist and in this study of the Sackler family and their aggressive manufacture and marketing of a pain relief drug, Radden Keefe reports that he was sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of material he could gather. In most instances, court records from the multitude of challenges brought against Purdue Pharma. The owners vigorously denied their opioid OxyContin was addictive despite medical evidence showing otherwise. Using the family’s wealth to buy complicity from federal agencies, the legal and medical systems and employees and to buy immortality through philanthropy, the family come across as amoral megalomaniacs whose sole objective is greed.
More Americans died during the opioid epidemic than in the US’s foray into Vietnam.
Radden Keefe makes narrative non fiction so interesting.

2023 Nonfiction Reader Challenge - Health ( )

I bought this book after watching the Netflix series, "Painkiller." The book is scary. When I started the book, I questioned the backstory's relevance and Arthur Sackler's relevance. However, as I progressed through the book, I understood how his philosophy influenced the later generations of Sacklers.

Arthur Sackler was a brilliant man, and his marketing innovations and the formation of the IMS were brilliant. However, it is personality and philosophy that influenced succeeding generations.

The Sackler family was diabolical. However, they could not have become successful were it not for a pliant regulatory environment.

The book is more than a commentary on the Sackler family. It is a commentary on society, businesses, and our environment. Money cannot rule everything. ( )

Well Sacklers, you've CERTAINLY created a name for yourselves... ( )

I listened to the audio of this one. An interesting story, but it could have used less buildup in regards to the art collecting and such. The righteous anger towards these individuals and their company was someone dampened by the length it took to reach the actual misdeeds part of the story. Not saying it shouldn't have been mentioned at all, but I don't think we needed quite as much backstory. Since it was audio, I was occasionally confused by the family tree, which I know is printed in the first pages of the physical book. Can't hold that against anyone, just a warning to other listeners. Absolutely worth a read if you are interested. ( )