Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
Patrick Radden Keefe
The highly anticipated portrait of three generations of the Sackler family, by the prize-winning, bestselling author of Say Nothing. The Sackler name adorns the walls of many storied institutions: Harvard, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Oxford, the Louvre. They are one of the richest families in the world, known for their lavish donations to the arts and sciences. more
535 pages, Hardcover
First published Doubleday
4.54
Rating
100012
Ratings
11790
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Patrick Radden Keefe
11 books 4093 followers
Patrick Radden Keefe is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of The Snakehead and Chatter. His work has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Slate, New York, and The New York Review of Books. He received the 2014 National Magazine Award for Feature Writing, for his story "A Loaded Gun," was a finalist for the National Magazine Award for Reporting in 2015 and 2016, and is also the recipient of an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fellowship at the New America Foundation and a Guggenheim Fellowship.Community reviews
Sometimes I think I've seen it all. Certainly as a reader of fiction, I think I've read it all. But then a nonfiction book comes along, and the true tale within is so gripping, so abhorrent, as to blow all those made up stories out of the water. I'd previously read a few books and countless articles on the Opioid Crisis, so I'm not new to the subject. But Empire of Pain approaches from a different angle, focusing on the Sackler family who owned and ran Purdue Pharma. more
Empire of Pain is a staggering, whipping, relentlessly infuriating book that swallows you whole as soon as you step inside. I devoured this story as if my life hung on the balance, even when I deeply, intensely abhorred it. Patrick Radden Keefe marshals a wealth of research and journalistic derring-do to tell the story of a family obsessed by greed, secrecy, immortality, and denial. For years, the Sackler family paid perfectly despicable amounts of money to emblazon their name everywhere—on art museums and universities and medical facilities around the world—while going to great ocean-spanning lengths to obscure and obfuscate their ties to and involvement in the pharmaceutical industry. Unfortunately for them, in Empire of Pain, their claims to invisibility are rendered hideously visible. more
I've been reading a lot of non fiction because I haven't been able to read romance. After this I want to crawl into a hole with forty romance novels and never come out. Jesus. This is horrifying. As a Brit I didn't know about this horrendous story of greed and selfishness, which is simultaneously utterly compelling and unbearable to read. more
Empire of Pain will easily make my list of the best books I read in 2021. My guess is if you read it, it will end up on yours too. Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe chronicles three generations of the Sackler family, the people behind Purdue Pharma, also known as the makers of OxyContin, better known as the creators of the current opioid epidemic. Their story is one of philanthropy and philandering, of pioneering and pilfering, and of grandeur and greed. It begins back in 1904 when Isaac Sackler immigrated to America, had three sons, and encouraged them to dream big and become doctors. more
This is A+ reporting and storytelling. The story of the Sackler family is expertly laid out for the reader. Riveting and sickening. Investigative journalism at its best. Read this book. more
“Originally, there had been three Sackler brothers, [Kathe Sackler explained]. Arthur, Mortimer, and Raymond. Mortimer was Kathe’s father. All three of them were doctors, but the Sackler brothers were ‘very entrepreneurial,’ she continued. The saga of their lives and the dynasty they would establish was also the story of a century of American capitalism. more
This is a book that is strangely fascinating, in a gross kind of way. It's kind of like watching an ant farm, or a millipede--weird, yucky, and riveting, all rolled into one. I definitely had to take breaks from reading because it was just so. unhealthy. It was like the exact opposite of any of my work on mindfulness, gratitude, or positive communication and I kept feeling a need to break to detoxify. more
As the title suggests, this book is a deep dive into the Sackler family. Most of us know they own Purdue Pharma and their role in producing and promoting OxyContin, but perhaps fewer people know their history and how they got to this point. The story starts with the patriarch Arthur. He and his two brothers were the children of Jewish immigrants, and all three became physicians. They were pioneers in the field of psychiatric medication, which ended the barbaric practice of lobotomies. more
Wow. I am speechless after reading Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe. Highly, highly recommend. The book traces several generations of Sacklers and their personal and professional journeys that led to the creation of OxyContin and the opioid epidemic in the US. In the mid twentieth century, 500,000 Americans were institutionalized in asylums. more
It has taken me awhile to formulate my thoughts about this amazing book Empire of Pain. This nonfiction, written by Patrick Radden Keefe, will not only inform you of three generations of the infamous Sackler family, it will also made you incensed that their company, Purdue Froelich initially, later entitled Purdue Pharma was able to ensnare the public to the drug OxyContin. The family became enormously wealthy donating to a plethora of institutions including hospitals, universities, museums, etc with always the one caveat, their name must appear on the donation. Across the world the name appeared which would one day be removed because of the insidious practices of their company. They were a family who flew under the radar, one that always remained in the shadows, never affixing their name to any company they owned and clandestinely operated. more
Patrick Radden Keefe is a brilliant journalist and writer. I read Say Nothing by him, also, which is another top notch non-fiction book that recently won a prize. That book was about the abduction and murder of Jean McConville who was the sole support for her 10 children and who was later found to be innocent of spying for the British. She was executed by the Irish Republican Army in 1972, anyway, and as far as I can tell, nobody gave a damn. I was riveted by that story and by this one too. more
A sobering account of greed and the lack of morals extreme wealth and a legion of lawyers brings with it. Human health and welfare are consistently, through generations and decades, subordinated to moneyIt is a peculiar hallmark of the American economy that you can produce a dangerous product and effectively off-load any legal liability for whatever destruction that product may cause by pointing to the individual responsibility of the consumer. Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty reminded me uncomfortably of Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, but then on a much larger scale and timeframe. Again greed is much more important than human welfare. The founding brothersPatrick Radden Keefe skilfully details the start of the opioid crisis through the family dynamics, that start with three brothers in the early 20th century: Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler. more
Simply stated, I stumbled over an intriguing headline written about the Sackler Family which was way before I knew anything relating to a book. I assumed the article had to do with philanthropy unaware a new story broke. Honestly, a feeling of nausea came over me thinking about the those who fell victim to this drug. At the same time I didn't want to be that person, the one who believes everything they read in print, so I read more articlesI wouldn't know then which articles were made up drama or half-truths for the media to glob on to or what was true. But what I wanted - was to get past this family arrogance to understand at what point greed became the first addiction for the Sackler Family. more
Congrats to the 2021 Goodreads Choice ✨WINNER✨ in History & Biography. A painstaking account of the very beginnings of the Sackler family business, starting with the founding and acquisition of several companies by Arther, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler, to present day where their name is being scraped off of the side of institutions they donated millions to, Patrick Radden Keefe has provided the ultimate guide to the people behind the pills at Purdue. Obviously they are not the first to market unsafe pharmaceuticals to a vulnerable population, or the only players in this massive industry. The politicians in the pocket of big pharma, the medical providers and doctors who facilitate these massive drug schemes, the regulators who look the other way—there’s a lot of culpable parties. But I feel like Keefe draws a clear line between not just the Sacklers and Purdue taking advantage of these systems, but actively making them worse for the public. more
Audiobook…. narrated by Patrick Radden Keefe …18 hours and 6 minutes The billionaire Sackler family - three generations-and a forth-guy…. The fates of Purdue have been the closely watched companies in the pharmaceutical industry seeking to hold them accountable for the epidemic of opioid addiction in the United States which has claimed more than a half million lives. This audiobook was packed filled with interest - historical details - dates- timelines -devastating facts - family history—family drama—family fortune— organizational developments…multiple and multiple investigations…. An Un-put-down-able gripping audiobook listen. more
Huge shout out to GR friends Elyse and Stacey B who wrote a fantastic reviews on “Empire of Pain”. I chose to listen to the audio, narrated by the author Patrick Radden Keefe. What’s interesting is that he was initially interested in drug cartels, and through his research on the cartels, he found the Sackler family. Keefe provides the history behind the three generations of Sacklers. It starts with the founding fathers: Raymond, Mortimer, and Arthur. more
How it all started. https://www. vox. com/2017/6/5/15111936. ======================The article that the book expanded from. more
note october 2023: there isn't a single day that my mind doesn't wander to this book. Being a geopolitics major, I have read my fair share of abhorrent reports, but this book is one that provoked a multitude of emotions, especially anger, to the point where I snapped the spine of my book while reading it. The Sacklers family is described by a lawmaker as "the most evil family in America" and I stood by this statement. Here are some examples amongst others:* In reaction to fifty-nine deaths from opioid overdoses in one single state, Richard Sackler, the director of Purdue at the time, said in an email: "This is not too bad. It could have been far worse. more
Have you seen Anya Taylor-Joy in the THE WITCH. Perhaps you washed pan seared gnocchi down with a crisp French 75 at The Smith. Did you attend Columbia, NYU, Yale, Harvard, or Tufts. Have you been to the Egyptian room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What about an exhibit by a woman artist at the Brooklyn Museum. more
A comprehensive, well-researched book on the Sackler family and their huge role in the opioid epidemic as founders of Purdue Pharma. The greed (and depravity) of this family is astounding - all glossed over with their art philanthropy. Keefe is very thorough, sometimes too detailed for me. (I found the same problem with "Say Nothing") But overall, an excellent, educational book. more
Now a Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award 2021 (Nonfiction)Holy hell, this book is terrifying: In this meticulously researched account of the roots of the opioid epidemic, Patrick Radden Keefe tells the story of the Sackler family. While the first generation were struggling immigrants, the next made it to med school: Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler worked with psychiatric patients and bought a pharmaceutic company, Purdue. Arthur then revolutionized medical advertising, masking ads as information, and if you think that's bad enough, nope, Purdue also threw OxyContin on the market, the heavily addictive opioid which was aggressively marketed with (intentionally. ) false claims. The dynasty became overtaken by greed, hooking people on painkillers while giving money to noble causes to enhance the family's lore and reputation. more
The opioid crisis has received a lot of attention but its origins less so. In Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe writes about a powerful drug at the heart of the crisis: the painkiller OxyContin. In an exhaustive and totally engrossing examination, he reaches back decades before its birth and up to the present day, when OxyContin is far from being hailed the way it was during its heyday. Empire of Pain is divided into two main sections that could be called Pre-OxyContin and Post-OxyContin. In Pre-OxyContin, Keefe shows how the stage is set for OxyContin’s wild success by recounting the life of the three Sackler brothers, in particular Arthur Sackler, the oldest of the three. more
Compelling story and swirling subplots around the Sackler men and women whose billions were gained on pain and abusive practices concerning opioids, as well as of some heroes who brought the Sacklers to heel. Comprehensive history of the Sackler dynasty, the descendants of Polish Ukrainian Jewish immigrants to Brooklyn, largely hidden behind their company, Purdue Pharma and its prized Oxycontin, et al. Coherent argument for the family's primary responsibility for the North American opioid crisis. more
Well, this was worth the hype. Though it's far from uplifting and quite a dense, long read, it is written so well, I couldn't stop reading. I read Radden Keefe's previous, "Say Nothing", which was impressive, but this one, to me, was even more compelling. He writes in a way that makes this disturbing nonfiction tale read like a shocking family saga. Fascinating, sad and educational, this is truly worthwhile. more
4. 5 stars - This book most held my interest when it was delving into the business wheelings and dealings of the Sacklers through their various corporations, but overall, an insightful portrait of capitalism unfettered from proper oversight and a compelling implied argument as why "profit above all else" doesn't belong in an industry that directly deals with people's health. more
What's in a name. Arthur Sackler’s father Isaac valued giving his family a good name and reputation above all else. He may have lost his money in an economic downturn, but he took great pride in knowing he provided his children with a namesake they could be proud of. A fortune you can rebuild, he’d said, but once you lose your good name, it’s gone forever. Decades later the Sackler name wasn't just something to be proud of, it was synonymous with philanthropy. more
The opioid crisis is, among other things, a parable about the awesome capability of private industry to subvert public institutions. Just as the FDA was compromised and Congress was neutralised or outright co-opted with generous donations, and some federal prosecutors were undermined with a back-channel appeal to Washington while others were mollified with the promise of a corporate job, just as state legislators and the CDC [Centre for Disease Control] were hindered and sabotaged when they tried to curb opioid prescribing, the DEA was not immune to these pressures and proceeded to soften its position under a steady barrage of industry encouragement. This is a just jaw-dropping exposé of the Sackler family and their rapacious drive to become multi-billionaires and global philanthropists on the back of their opioid drug, OxyContin. The family had form even before their most infamous drug as Arthur Sackler, the effective patriarch of the dynasty, cut his teeth with shady practices in the marketing of Valium, including mass advertising disguised as scholarly medical papers, back-handers to doctors and regulators, and actions that were ethically, if not always legally, wrong. For all that, there's a question mark over to what extent Arthur, the self-made son of Jewish immigrants, might have condoned what happened with OxyContin. more
Brilliant, thorough, engrossing, unputdownable, and upsetting. If you or a loved one was affected by the opioid epidemic, give yourself space for this one because it will hit deep. An incredible book. more
A work of investigative journalism that chronicles the misdeeds of three generations of the Sackler family, and a peek into the chicanery regularly employed by their company, Purdue Pharma, in creating and hawking Oxycontin, a highly addictive and sometimes deadly synthetic opiate. Author Keefe does an outstanding job of showing how Purdue Pharma sales reps hoodwinked physicians into believing Oxycontin was a safe alternative for patients with chronic pain and concocted an Orwellian narrative alleging that opioid addiction was actually impossible if Oxycontin was taken as prescribed. This false narrative resulted in countless cases of addiction, which was possible even if the drug was taken as directed. Oxycontin was hyped as a drug a suffering patient only had to take twice a day, with a 12-hour duration of pain-free bliss that allowed people having chronic pain to lead normal lives. This was not actually true, of course, and the reality is that the drug did not stymie pain for 12 hours--which encouraged users to take more, resulting in thousands of people becoming addicted and Oxy becoming one of the most abused opiates in America. more
4. 5*Money and greed is what makes some sensible and clever people create an empire on dead bodies and the power of same saves them from punishment and jail time. more