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audreyxwg's review against another edition
5.0
oh wow this is exactly what i want my narrative non fiction to be. even finishing the book and then reading the note on sources and learning the thousands of documents, books, sources, that he’d talk to to even get this down to 500 pages is amazing. a really comprehensive look at the family and the beginnings of the opioid crisis, and even before!
alicebeastcat's review against another edition
4.0
A well-documented and very readable account of the Sackler family and their company Purdue Pharma, and how their lies about the "non-addictiveness" of Oxycontin and aggressive marketing of the drug allowed them to pocket billions while also playing a major role in creating the opioid epidemic. Their story also demonstrates how great wealth, power and connections allow one to buy more favorable treatment from regulatory agencies, the justice system and congress. A non-fiction book that reads like a novel.
rapidtra5h's review against another edition
4.0
very very good. having grown up in Appalachia and having seen the ravages of the opioid crisis in my home state, my hometown, and my own family, this whole thing just made me really angry. if you want to read something that destroys your faith in humanity, read this
breqthis's review against another edition
4.75
Honestly knocked my socks off. Sorry to everyone who knew me when I was reading this cause they definitely knew I was. I was punching the air the entire time. I love hate the law.
The first book, Patriarch, was incredibly well recounted. It detailed the story of the three Sackler brothers that started Purdue Pharma, with emphasis on Arthur, the eldest, who arguably created the path down which the family and company walked.
And the afterword, the AFTERWORD. My word! What a way to tie it all together.
Highly recommend for those looking for true crime that is written as a story more than a recounting of facts and who enjoy flipping off teslas.
Docked .25 for some sections in Book 2 that could have used some extra editing. I hate myself for it don’t worry.
180 why oxycodone
242 ottawa mention!
324 “But the success of one drug had given rise to a self-regarding aura of superhuman business prowess” the book in a sentence
335 Describes Richard Sackler so well I googled him and that pic was the first one brought up. Knows how to invoke severity somehow. The chapter’s before this ones ending was incredibly tense filled
2017 author published in The New Yorker
354 Just all of it
358 pediatric indication for patent extension
“ but for technical reasons, they were denied the extension of exclusivity, which left them very unhappy and primed, perhaps, to be sensitive to nasty press reports implying the family might have wanted to sell opioids to children, when what they were really an extra six months of monopoly pricing” KILL THEM PATRICK
359 re diversifying product line: “ the board wasn’t interested. The profit margins weren’t the same as with opioids.”
361 PAIN MET Goldin sit in. Chills from descriptions
363 Johnson & Johnson supplying Purdue’s thebaine
398 Deposition, babey !
The first book, Patriarch, was incredibly well recounted. It detailed the story of the three Sackler brothers that started Purdue Pharma, with emphasis on Arthur, the eldest, who arguably created the path down which the family and company walked.
And the afterword, the AFTERWORD. My word! What a way to tie it all together.
Highly recommend for those looking for true crime that is written as a story more than a recounting of facts and who enjoy flipping off teslas.
Docked .25 for some sections in Book 2 that could have used some extra editing. I hate myself for it don’t worry.
242 ottawa mention!
324 “But the success of one drug had given rise to a self-regarding aura of superhuman business prowess” the book in a sentence
335 Describes Richard Sackler so well I googled him and that pic was the first one brought up. Knows how to invoke severity somehow. The chapter’s before this ones ending was incredibly tense filled
2017 author published in The New Yorker
354 Just all of it
358 pediatric indication for patent extension
“ but for technical reasons, they were denied the extension of exclusivity, which left them very unhappy and primed, perhaps, to be sensitive to nasty press reports implying the family might have wanted to sell opioids to children, when what they were really an extra six months of monopoly pricing” KILL THEM PATRICK
359 re diversifying product line: “ the board wasn’t interested. The profit margins weren’t the same as with opioids.”
361 PAIN MET Goldin sit in. Chills from descriptions
363 Johnson & Johnson supplying Purdue’s thebaine
398 Deposition, babey !