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A review by ashwaar
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I’ve read another of Patrick Radden Keefe’s books, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, and if you liked that, I think you’ll also really love Empire of Pain.
I knew absolutely nothing about the Sackler family, Purdue or OxyContin when I started this book and it does a fantastic job of introducing you to this pharmaceutical dynasty, and their role in the opioid crisis in America.
I think what makes this book so unique in covering the addiction crises is that it goes back decades to the three brothers that founded Purdue Pharma and their experiences working in medicine and advertising which basically invented pharmaceutical marketing.
This book is a must read, it’s incredibly impactful and important, and covers so many essential areas of the story with such ease and grace. It’s an incredible achievement.
I knew absolutely nothing about the Sackler family, Purdue or OxyContin when I started this book and it does a fantastic job of introducing you to this pharmaceutical dynasty, and their role in the opioid crisis in America.
I think what makes this book so unique in covering the addiction crises is that it goes back decades to the three brothers that founded Purdue Pharma and their experiences working in medicine and advertising which basically invented pharmaceutical marketing.
This book is a must read, it’s incredibly impactful and important, and covers so many essential areas of the story with such ease and grace. It’s an incredible achievement.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Medical content
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide