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Front cover of Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

Empire of Pain

by Patrick Radden Keefe

$12.48 on Amazon

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ISBN1984899015
Patrick Radden Keefe

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Patrick Radden Keefe

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Empire of Pain

The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

by Patrick Radden Keefe

Preview · not reviewed yet

Empire of Pain traces three generations of the Sackler family, from their origins in medical advertising to their expansion into the opioid pharmaceutical market, examining how their wealth accumulation intersects with their public philanthropy and the broader opioid epidemic. Structured as narrative nonfiction, it frames their story as a dynastic saga that raises questions about corporate responsibility, arrogance, and the human costs of American ambition.

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe traces three generations of the Sackler family, examining how they built a business empire beginning with medical advertising and later expanding into the opioid painkiller market. The book frames their story as a dynastic saga, connecting the family's accumulation of wealth to their prominent philanthropic activities and, ultimately, to the broader opioid epidemic in the United States.

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Amazon listing (bibliographic data, cover & pricing) — Amazon

Book description via penguinrandomhouse.com — penguinrandomhouse.com

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Empire of Pain traces three generations of the Sackler family, from their origins in medical advertising to their expansion into the opioid pharmaceutical market, examining how their wealth accumulation intersects with their public philanthropy and the broader opioid epidemic. Structured as narrative nonfiction, it frames their story as a dynastic saga that raises questions about corporate responsibility, arrogance, and the human costs of American ambition.
Who is it for?
Readers interested in investigative journalism, pharmaceutical industry practices, and the social history of the opioid crisis will find this relevant. It will also appeal to those drawn to long-form reporting on powerful institutions and families, as well as general readers interested in dynastic narratives and public health issues.
What are the main themes?
The book centers on arrogance, avarice, and indifference to suffering, framing the Sackler story as a morality tale about American ambition and wealth. Key tensions include the contrast between ostentatious public generosity and the human costs of corporate pharmaceutical practices.
Who wrote it?
Patrick Radden Keefe is a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of several books, including Say Nothing, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Empire of Pain won the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize and was a New York Times bestseller and Notable Book of the Year.
What format or source is it?
Empire of Pain is a narrative nonfiction book that employs the conventions of dynastic family history to examine corporate conduct and public health issues.
What's this book about?

What's this book about?

The book examines the Sackler family's business empire, tracing their rise through medical advertising and their later dominance in the opioid painkiller market. It explores the tension between their prominent philanthropic activities and the widespread suffering linked to opioid addiction, positioning their story as a case study in American wealth accumulation and corporate conduct.

AI-generated from publicly available information, ahead of our full review · LuvemBooks

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Answers are AI-generated from what's known, ahead of our full review · LuvemBooks