Empire of Pain
The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
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Empire of Pain
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Narrated by:
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Patrick Radden Keefe
About this listen
The gripping and shocking story of three generations of the Sackler family and their roles in the stories of Valium, OxyContin and the opioid crisis. The inspiration behind the Netflix series Painkiller, starring Uzo Aduba and Matthew Broderick. Read by the author, Patrick Radden Keefe.
Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
A BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week'
Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award
Shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction
One of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books
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 in the arts and the sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that the Sacklers were responsible for making and marketing Oxycontin, a blockbuster painkiller that was a catalyst for the opioid crisis – an international epidemic of drug addiction which has killed nearly half a million people.
In this masterpiece of narrative reporting and writing, award-winning journalist and host of the Wind of Change podcast Patrick Radden Keefe exhaustively documents the jaw-dropping and ferociously compelling reality. Empire of Pain is the story of a dynasty: a parable of twenty-first-century greed.
©2021 Patrick Radden Keefe (P)2021 Penguin Randomhouse LLCCritic reviews
"Put simply, this book will make your blood boil...Keefe...paints a devastating portrait of a family consumed by greed and unwilling to take the slightest responsibility or show the least sympathy for what it wrought." (John Carreyrou, author of Bad Blood, in the New York Times)
"Jaw-dropping.... Beggars belief." (Sunday Times)
"You feel almost guilty for enjoying it so much." (The Times)
What listeners say about Empire of Pain
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- Tom Dawkins
- 08-13-21
A great book which will make your blood boil
A brilliant, compelling and enraging story of the key role played by the Sackler family in the opioid crisis, and their continuing refusal to take any responsibility. Incredibly researched and beautifully written.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Dawid
- 02-19-25
Cynicism of the Wealthy
I’m not quite sure what to do with the information in this book. How will I use this to serve me going forward? And by this I don’t mean to criticize the author. On the contrary, this is a serious piece of journalism. But it’s hard to hear how the rich abuse their power, not to speak of the role the FDA and other government agencies, meant to protect us, play in this harm. A difficult pill to swallow.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-13-21
An example of excellent journalist work
The time and effort put into this investigation shows in this audiobook. An interesting listen from start to finish.
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- lee
- 06-06-23
Brilliant. Must read
One of the best non fiction books of the century. Riveting, well researched, a story that needs to be told. Written and narrated expertly. I highly recommend this book. Should be required reading for everyone in the medical and pharmaceutical fraternity and everyone who’s lives, or the lives of those they love, has been affected by drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and other addictions.
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- Chrissie
- 07-24-22
Enlightening and disheartening
Very good listen. Leaves one wondering about many things. Marketing, real justice vs legal mumble jumbo and greed especially.
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- Anonymous User
- 08-11-22
Empire of Pain
Harrowing, horrific, compelling and riveting. Brilliant writing and narration. Highly recommend Empire of Pain.
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- Norma Miles
- 04-15-22
"Addicted to money."
I read a brief review of this book which stated that the reader had felt guilty at how much they were enjoying the book: it's a great comment and one I can totally endorse. The subject matter, the Sackler family and the total disregard they exhibited in their pursuit of wealth as they lied and pushed their pharmaceutical opiates was stunning.
A brilliantly researched and written narrative non-fiction , expertly read by Patrick Raddon Keele, and most highly recommended
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- Joe Cincotta
- 02-21-22
spectacular work of research
I cannot even fathom how hard it must have been to write this epic work. the depth of research and detail is staggering. my only disappointment was the ending insofar as there isn't one - they remain criminals at large with the means to exploit the system to their will so they can never be brought to justice. disheartening, yet a story that must be told all the same. thank you.
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- Anonymous User
- 05-19-21
HBO?Netflix?Award-winning movie/limitedseries?
Brilliant! Needs to be shared on more platforms! Some Sackler descendant/movie producer must be interested...
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- dianne
- 11-05-21
conclusion
brilliantly told. a must listen for those interested in the disturbing corruption in the pharmaceutical industry.
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