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Reviews tagging 'Suicide'
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
88 reviews
jhbandcats's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
The first section of Empire of Pain is background on the three brothers who started what became Perdue Pharma; the rest of the book is about how OxyContin came to destroy so many lives. The whole experience of reading the second and third sections of this book is one of deep frustration and often anger.
Keefe’s dense, heavily researched account of the rise of the Sackler family (they developed Valium so they were knew about addiction from early on) and the way they created the opioid epidemic is absolutely maddening. To see them literally getting away with murder is, well, criminal.
Keefe interviewed two hundred people and had access to hundreds of thousands of pages of correspondence and depositions. He’s able to wade through this mass of information and create a cohesive, easily understood narrative. I know little about medicine and even less about business but the story he details was accessible even to a layman.
Literally more than half the book includes references, footnotes, an index - this is a phenomenally well-documented work. Everyone should read it. It’s a testament to how the rich control the lives of the rest of us.
Keefe’s dense, heavily researched account of the rise of the Sackler family (they developed Valium so they were knew about addiction from early on) and the way they created the opioid epidemic is absolutely maddening. To see them literally getting away with murder is, well, criminal.
Keefe interviewed two hundred people and had access to hundreds of thousands of pages of correspondence and depositions. He’s able to wade through this mass of information and create a cohesive, easily understood narrative. I know little about medicine and even less about business but the story he details was accessible even to a layman.
Literally more than half the book includes references, footnotes, an index - this is a phenomenally well-documented work. Everyone should read it. It’s a testament to how the rich control the lives of the rest of us.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Trafficking, Drug use, Gaslighting, Suicide, Addiction, Cancer, and Chronic illness
jiao_li's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
4.25
"Empire of Pain" is a meticulously researched biography, no wonder it won the Best History and Biography at Goodreads Awards. Rather than telling the history of Purdue Pharma or OxyContin, this book is more focused on the Sackler family. It will take you back far, starting from Isaac Sackler, the father of the three original Sackler family members.
I just finished "House of Gucci" not long ago, and it kinda gave me the same vibes as this book. Although I like this book more because Keefe's storytelling is really good. And the fact that the Sacklers are smarter (they're doctors after all) than the Guccis makes their story more interesting. Keefe's writing successfully portrays the Sacklers as intelligent but cunning figures.
The book's structure especially makes the reading more enjoyable, and it made the story flow seamlessly. I think Keefe's ability to evoke emotion is plausible. I like that he writes the Sacklers as greedy people who made people addicted to drugs because they were addicted to money.
I just finished "House of Gucci" not long ago, and it kinda gave me the same vibes as this book. Although I like this book more because Keefe's storytelling is really good. And the fact that the Sacklers are smarter (they're doctors after all) than the Guccis makes their story more interesting. Keefe's writing successfully portrays the Sacklers as intelligent but cunning figures.
The book's structure especially makes the reading more enjoyable, and it made the story flow seamlessly. I think Keefe's ability to evoke emotion is plausible. I like that he writes the Sacklers as greedy people who made people addicted to drugs because they were addicted to money.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Suicide
ginnydw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse
Minor: Suicide
daniellel's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Suicide, and Death
korpney's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt
laurenleigh's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I am telling everyone to read this, especially when read alongside Demon Copperhead!! This was exactly what I want out of nonfiction. I want to learn, but while being engaged in a cohesive narrative. The amount of research Keefe has done is staggering, but he has communicated his findings so clearly. I was so hooked the whole time, even when I was enraged. (Greed is one hell of a drug.) After reading this and Kingsolver’s aforementioned novel, I feel so much more informed on the opioid crisis. It’s terrifying, depressing, and fascinating to see the similarities between the pharmaceutical, tobacco, and firearms industries. Radden doesn’t necessarily make his stance on the subject a secret, but he also doesn’t throw it constantly in your face.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use
Moderate: Medical content, Grief, Classism, Terminal illness, and Suicide
tiernanhunter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Drug use, Ableism, Mental illness, Addiction, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Cancer, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Pandemic/Epidemic
daphreads's review against another edition
slow-paced
5.0
One of the most well written pieces of nonfiction that I have ever read. The research and investigation that went into it is unparalleled - I cannot imagine the lengths he went to in order to get information that has never been public anywhere else. But more-so, the author is able to entwine all this information into a deeply interesting and well-flowing narrative structure; its witty, funny, and draws you in. It managed to make me gasp out loud as if I was reading a thriller, but it was simply history hold is such a compelling way that it completely drew me in. And the information that is being presented is so so important- I'm so grateful that this information has finally come to light, in any attempt to hold a family that has created insurmountable harm to millions of people in America and around the world. It is a phenomenal teaching lesson for doctors and any of those who are prescribing, to do their own research for the sake of their patients. I cannot say enough good things about this book, and wish I could personally thank the author for everything he did to make it possible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Suicide
luckyone's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, and Antisemitism
Minor: Suicide, Chronic illness, Stalking, Ableism, and Antisemitism
sydapel's review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.5
Easily my favorite of Radden Keefe's books so far, and an incredibly thoughtful and in depth story about the now infamous Sackler family. there's so much in here about how this family has been taking advantage of the system since Day 1, how their philanthropy has always been an offshoot of their need to elevate their name and their refusal to halt the train of profit lead to a chilling downfall. I wish the book had going into a bit more detail about how capitalist systems allow and even actively encourage this type of greed, but the author does admit he was more focused on the members of this elusive family. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse
Moderate: Suicide, Antisemitism, and Death