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Reviews tagging 'Drug use'
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
114 reviews
maarsargo's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
mcmarg's review against another edition
4.5
I loved the way Patrick Radden Keefe wrote Say Nothing in such an action-packed, page-turning storytelling way despite the fact that the subject matter was super dense and fact-heavy. I do think that Empire of Pain was so well written but the subject matter was just never going to be as exciting or fascinating as the cutthroat epic tales of IRA heroes and villains. So for those reasons, I found it harder to get through this.
I did love some of the chapters that intertwine fringe stories like the chapter about the temple of Dendur - as a NY native that was so interesting to read. Also, the story of Calixto Rivera was so shocking, infuriating, and important to expose the level to which the Sackler's were never going to take responsibility for any of their actions.
One chapter I did not love was Turks. I thought at this point and some other points in the book were not totally essential and didn't add anything to the larger story for me. But then again, it does focus on the greed of the family which furthers the narrative, it just slowed me down in my energy to finish the book.
As the book got more into the many lawsuits filed against the Sacklers it was so frustrating to watch them evade all responsibility over and over. A lot of the specifics of the lawyer jargon went over my head but there was so much corruption. My overall takeaway is that this was a family who started from nothing and completely realized the American dream of the self-starting patriarch and family business dynasty. They were blinded by greed and ambition and over time became the most evil family in America.
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Suicide
citrinuke's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Medical content
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
madelaineb's review against another edition
3.75
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
thunderousdandelion's review against another edition
5.0
Minor: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, and Antisemitism
cailinlillis's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not really sure how to review such an impactful work. I think everyone can benefit from a closer look at how the pharmaceutical industry works and how wealth is accrued and kept more broadly. It leaves me with a lot to ponder and with a lot more information at my disposal to see things clearly. Highly recommend.
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Chronic illness, Suicide, and Antisemitism
laurenkimoto's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Antisemitism
nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition
5.0
I was fascinated by every element of this book (though the introduction of Arthur Sackler and the family history developed in Part 1 was my favorite section), and it was one of those audiobooks that had me seeking out more household chores in order to keep listening. Patrick Radden Keefe narrates his own writing fabulously, and he wrote an absolutely incredibly piece of investigative journalism that never bothered me with its length or detail.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt
megs_bok's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use