Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

105 reviews

abigail_lo's review

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

5.0

the only reason it took me so long to read this book is how goddamn infuriating it is. multiple times, i had to close the book before i became overpowered by sheer rage at the fucking nerve of the sacklers + everyone else they bought off. in terms of my takeaways: immense wealth and nepotism will be the literal death of our society. when corporations are allowed to buy their way through all the regulations in place in what amounts to a caricature of free-market capitalism, real people will always suffer. like he says in the afterword: while pain management is a very complex question and opioids are helpful to many people, my heart aches for those who lost their lives due to big pharma's (and specifically purdue's) lust for money. fuck capitalism -- eat the rich <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Drug use

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Mental illness

Minor: Cancer, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Chronic illness

vgillet's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

4.5

An absolutely devastating account of the boundless greed that led to the American opioid epidemic.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction

Minor: Suicide

dwiparto's review

dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse

Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts

linneak's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gaslighting, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Addiction

Moderate: Classism, Death, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Medical content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Stalking, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Grief, Antisemitism, and Cursing

bluedijon's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Patrick Radden Keefe has ruined podcasts for me. I listened to this book as an audiobook, and it's set such a high standard for investigative journalism and thorough, empathetic prose that I just can't listen to anything with less attention to detail, and the humanity of the subjects of the story. This is a horrific story, don't get me wrong - it's hundreds of pages studying a family engaging in willful ignorance at best, and exploitation of human lives in exchange for profit at its worst. It's a masterful work that everyone should read (or listen to :) ).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Addiction

dizzymisslizzy's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Suicide, Drug abuse, and Addiction

Moderate: Antisemitism

dckate2004's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse

economydreams's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Death of parent and Death

ruusaer's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse

janekeats's review against another edition

5.0

Unbelievably eye opening to the opioid crisis. I cannot recommend this book enough. The Sackler Family truly needs to be held accountable for the harm that they have caused. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse