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A review by priyastoric
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.5
I have never been so angry after finishing a book as I have been when I closed <i> Empire of Pain</i>. It is true that there are only a few of us that haven't been impacted by the opioid crisis and reading—in Keefe's deft hands—the methodical (and calculating) way the Sackler family leveraged addiction to increase their foothold in the pharmaceutical industry is .... and I can't even find the right words to describe it.
I believe that knowledge is power, and like with his previous work <i>Say Nothing</i>, Keefe provides us with valuable information showing how easy it was for something that was meant to bring relief ended up destroying so many. It is more than a cautionary tale, but a reminder to question everything.
Note: I read this after I listened to Barbara Kingsolver's incredible novel Demon Copperhead. While a fictional tale, it walks you through what the ramifications were, on the ground, in rural communities of the Sackler's malevolence and greed.
I believe that knowledge is power, and like with his previous work <i>Say Nothing</i>, Keefe provides us with valuable information showing how easy it was for something that was meant to bring relief ended up destroying so many. It is more than a cautionary tale, but a reminder to question everything.
Note: I read this after I listened to Barbara Kingsolver's incredible novel Demon Copperhead. While a fictional tale, it walks you through what the ramifications were, on the ground, in rural communities of the Sackler's malevolence and greed.