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Reviews tagging 'Death'
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
62 reviews
siobhanward's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.0
NYT Notable Books 2021: 22/100
Patrick Radden Keefe is an absolute gift to the world of nonfiction. He takes topics that are challenging to read about, both in terms of heaviness and complexity, and manages to make them accessible and interesting. While I didn't love this as much as <i> Say Nothing </i> I think that had more to do with my interest in the topic than the quality of the book. I knew very little about the Sacklers and Purdue and oh man this was a wild ride. This was hard to read at times, especially when the Sacklers kept repeatedly denying they had anything to do with everything and were shocked by facing consequences. This was a wild ride.
Patrick Radden Keefe is an absolute gift to the world of nonfiction. He takes topics that are challenging to read about, both in terms of heaviness and complexity, and manages to make them accessible and interesting. While I didn't love this as much as <i> Say Nothing </i> I think that had more to do with my interest in the topic than the quality of the book. I knew very little about the Sacklers and Purdue and oh man this was a wild ride. This was hard to read at times, especially when the Sacklers kept repeatedly denying they had anything to do with everything and were shocked by facing consequences. This was a wild ride.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Suicide
silodear's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
fast-paced
4.75
This book is extremely well researched and thoughtful. It’s a completely damning look into the origin of the opiate epidemic as an intentional marketing ploy of a family obsessed with money. I guess we’re all just fine with rich people wreaking endless horror upon the world and experiencing zero consequences for their actions? This book reinforced everything I understand to be true about absurdly rich wealth hoarders.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Mental illness
kathrynshields's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
5.0
My spooky season reading started a little early with this absolute horror story. I was familiar with the Sackler family’s connection to the opioid epidemic, but Patrick Radden Keefe expertly untangles a complex and complicated history spanning three generations. The material is dense at times, but the story is captivating. This is an important work of journalism and storytelling that everyone, directly or indirectly affected by opioids, should read.
*Extra points to the author for a consistently correct pronunciation of “Appalachia” in the audiobook.
*Extra points to the author for a consistently correct pronunciation of “Appalachia” in the audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Medical trauma and Classism
Minor: Cancer
lectures_de_chloe's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
2.0
J'ai malheureusement trouvé cet ouvrage interminable. Il y avait trop de détails à mon goût : toute la portion sur l'obsession d'Arthur Sackler pour l'art japonais, les multiples unions, divorces et tromperies perpétués par Arthur et ses frères ainsi que leurs enfants, les chicanes familiales, etc. ont ajoutés de multiples longueurs sans lien avec le sujet auquel je m'intéressais, soit la crise des opioïdes et l'impact du marketing pharmaceutique perpétué par Purdue pharma sur cette crise. Néanmoins, si vous vous intéressez à l'histoire familiale des Sackler, ce livre pourrait vous intéresser.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use
dilani's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
5.0
wow, just wow. very eye-opening for me as i never knew about the origins of the opioid epidemic. the greed and the lengths the Sackler family are willing to go through to protect themselves is infuriating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Death and Suicide
leontyna's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
The book was really dry but at the same time very informative and well structured. What it lacked in my opinion was a longer piece about the drug, I finished the book not knowing whether there are any legit uses for OxyContin or safe ways to use it. Advocating for people suffering chronic pain was only used as Sackler's excuse and not explored further.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
Minor: Death and Suicide
bibliomich's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Patrick Radden Keefe is an author who has been on my radar for a long time, and I'm glad that I finally decided to listen to Empire of Pain.
First of all, I want to note that Keefe narrates his own audiobook, and he is an excellent narrator, so I highly recommend the audiobook, should you enjoy/prefer listening to your books.
The core thesis of this book is that the decisions of several generations of one single family shaped the pharmaceutical industry of today, as well as significantly contributed to the current opioid crisis. Keefe's research is thorough, substantial, and tremendously convincing. The story is compelling, devastating, and infuriating.
I highly recommend Empire of Pain and personally intend to read Keefe's other books soon.
First of all, I want to note that Keefe narrates his own audiobook, and he is an excellent narrator, so I highly recommend the audiobook, should you enjoy/prefer listening to your books.
The core thesis of this book is that the decisions of several generations of one single family shaped the pharmaceutical industry of today, as well as significantly contributed to the current opioid crisis. Keefe's research is thorough, substantial, and tremendously convincing. The story is compelling, devastating, and infuriating.
I highly recommend Empire of Pain and personally intend to read Keefe's other books soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, and Medical content
Minor: Cancer and Antisemitism
Patrick Radden Keefe is an author who has been on my radar for a long time, and I'm glad that I finally decided to listen to Empire of Pain. First of all, I want to note that Keefe narrates his own audiobook, and he is an excellent narrator, so I highly recommend the audiobook, should you enjoy/prefer listening to your books. The core thesis of this book is that the decisions of several generations of one single family shaped the pharmaceutical industry of today, as well as significantly contributed to the current opioid crisis. Keefe's research is thorough, substantial, and tremendously convincing. The story is compelling, devastating, and infuriating. I highly recommend Empire of Pain and personally intend to read Keefe's other books soon.smaber23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
5.0
This is required reading for everyone, but especially those of us who work in healthcare, social work, education, and public health.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Suicide
linneak's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Cursing, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Grief, Stalking, and Alcohol
economydreams's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Death and Death of parent