Empire of Pain

by Patrick Radden Keefe
Empire of Pain cover
Good Books rating 4.12
Investigative Journalism
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  • ID: 2834
  • Added: 2025-10-16
  • Updated: 2026-02-22
  • ISBN: 9781529063080
  • Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  • Published: 2021-04-20
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 4

Empire of Pain delves into the history of the Sackler family, one of the wealthiest and most influential dynasties in the world, known for their philanthropic donations to prestigious institutions. However, their fortune was built on the back of the opioid crisis, with the creation and marketing of OxyContin, a painkiller that has contributed to nearly half a million deaths. Award-winning journalist Patrick Radden Keefe meticulously documents the family's involvement and the systemic issues that allowed the crisis to unfold./n/nThis book is not just a story of a family but a broader commentary on the pharmaceutical industry, the culture of greed, and the human cost of unchecked capitalism. It is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction that will leave readers both informed and horrified.

Reviews
Reddit - r/books · 2026-02-16
comprehensive 4.00

The book chronicles the Sacklers and their role in the opioid crisis, providing a lot to take in. The reviewer appreciates the methodical way the story is laid out.

The reviewer on Reddit finds the book to be a comprehensive chronicle of the Sacklers and their role in the opioid crisis. They appreciate the methodical way the story is laid out, providing a detailed and engaging account of the family's actions and the consequences of their decisions. The reviewer acknowledges that the book is a lot to take in, but the thorough research and compelling narrative make it a worthwhile read. The discussion on Reddit highlights the book's impact and the way it sheds light on the complexities of the opioid epidemic.

Quick quotes

    The book chronicles the Sacklers and their role in the opioid crisis.

    It's a lot to take in.

    I really appreciated the way Keefe methodically laid out how the...

The Pump Don’t Work · 2022-06-30
unsettling 4.00

The book is designed to make the reader's skin crawl and blood boil, unless they are related to a Sackler. It is a biography of a family that reveals shocking truths.

The reviewer describes the book as a biography of a family that is designed to make the reader's skin crawl and blood boil. They highlight the shocking truths revealed about the Sackler family and their role in the opioid crisis. The reviewer praises the book for its ability to evoke strong emotions and its thorough exploration of the family's actions. The narrative is described as gripping and unsettling, making it a powerful read.

Quick quotes

    Empire of Pain is the biography of a family, designed to make the reader's skin crawl and blood boil, unless the reader is somehow related to a Sackler.

    It tells the story of three generations of the Sackler family and their roles in the stories of Valium, OxyContin and the opioid crisis.

    The book chronicles the Sacklers and their role in the opioid crisis. It's a lot to take in.

NPR · Ailsa Chang · 2021-12-07
compelling 4.00

The book is a sweeping story of the rise and fall of an American dynasty, highlighting the family's obsession with leaving their mark. It is a compelling narrative that documents the Sacklers' role in the opioid crisis.

Ailsa Chang from NPR describes the book as a sweeping story of the rise and fall of an American dynasty. She highlights the family's obsession with emblazoning their name across museums and institutions, which adds a layer of complexity to their story. The narrative is compelling and documents the Sacklers' role in the opioid crisis, providing a detailed and gripping account of their actions and the consequences. Chang appreciates the thorough research and the way the story is told, making it a must-read for those interested in the intersection of business, ethics, and public health.

Quick quotes

    The book is a sweeping story of the rise and fall of an American dynasty.

    A family obsessed with emblazoning with its name across museums.

    A compelling narrative that documents the Sacklers' role in the opioid crisis.

The Guardian · 2021-11-28
compelling 4.50

The book is a gripping tale of capitalism at its most innovative and ruthless, told with a masterful grasp of the material. It is a chilling and mesmerizing read that is damning in its use of the family's own words.

The reviewer found the book to be a gripping tale of capitalism at its most innovative and ruthless. They praised the author's masterful grasp of the material, making it a chilling and mesmerizing read. The use of the family's own words makes the narrative particularly damning. The reviewer highlights the book's ability to hold the reader's attention with its detailed and compelling account of the Sackler family's involvement in the opioid crisis.

Quick quotes

    Empire of Pain is a gripping tale of capitalism at its most innovative and ruthless that Keefe tells with a masterful grasp of the material.

    It is a chilling and mesmerizing read, 'substantially built on the family's own words'.

    Which is what makes it so damning.

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