El Imperio del Dolor: La Historia secreta de la dinastía que reinó en la industria farmacéutica
- Downloads：2460
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-01-10 19:21:28
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Patrick Radden Keefe
- ISBN：841805249X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Margareth Borneman
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Ontluisterend！Bijzonder goed en gedocumenteerd geschreven。
Ruben
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Heel interessant en verbijsterend verhaal， wel een langdradig boek。 Niet helemaal uitgelezen。
Andrés
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Este libro recoge de manera detallada la cruda verdad de lo que hay detrás de esas familias y marcas ilustres y su supuesta filantropía y generosidad hacia el resto de los morrales。 A veces repetitivo， pero siempre incisivo。 Muy recomendable
larry richmond
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Necessary reading for everyoneThis is an incredible book。 Tons of intrigue Very upsetting Profound look Into the Opioid crisis。 The writing is terrific and excited and reads like a tremendous thriller。 At the same time the story is very sad Makes me feel Ashamed about many people in our country Particularly Those who Claimed the immigrant experience But took advantage Of everyone。 Hopefully those in business Who read this book will think strongly about their next side of decisions。
Amy
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This was a dense but SUPER fascinating read and a thoroughly-researched piece of investigative journalism。 Will be thinking about this for a long time。
Tori
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Engaging narrative。 Frustrating story。
Janet
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A compelling， well-researched， richly detailed account of three generations of the Sackler family， who built their fortune on Valium & later， on OxyContin。 I couldn’t put it down。 Jaw drop revelation after revelation。 It’s fascinating from a Succession-like family saga and the psychology of the super elite。 It’s heartbreaking and eye opening。 I’m so glad this book exists to show the Sackler name for what it really is。
Barbara Bernheim
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Incredible background story of the Sackler family。 A thick but very readable account of the roots of this family and their evolution from humble beginnings to a selfish obsession with money despite the death destruction。 It’s eye- opening。
Lisa
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A timely and compelling book about the family that founded Purdue Pharma， the company that launched oxycontin and， with it， the opioid crisis。
Caroline Growney
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“They were careless people。 They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness， or whatever it was that kept them together， and let other people clean up the mess they had made。”This Gatsby quote proves timeless in response to the uncontestedly devious behaviors of the family Sackler。 Yet another chapter in this fable of corrosive greed and self interest that informs our current reality。 A powerful reminder that those who inflict the most dam “They were careless people。 They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness， or whatever it was that kept them together， and let other people clean up the mess they had made。”This Gatsby quote proves timeless in response to the uncontestedly devious behaviors of the family Sackler。 Yet another chapter in this fable of corrosive greed and self interest that informs our current reality。 A powerful reminder that those who inflict the most damage rarely pay the cost if they are rich and litigious。 Yet another call to reform the subtly insidious systems of law and power fail time and again to serve the Everyman。 。。。more
Nancy L
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Very well researched Non-fiction book looking into three generations of the Sackler family and their riches from the pharmaceutical industry。 Highly recommend people read this book and understand how people with money just want more。
Kathy
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OMG these people are monsters。 I don't read much non-fiction， and this was a long， hard book， but I couldn't put it down。 I hope that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law （which probably won't happend because of the different set of rules for rich people）。 Highly recommend。 OMG these people are monsters。 I don't read much non-fiction， and this was a long， hard book， but I couldn't put it down。 I hope that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law （which probably won't happend because of the different set of rules for rich people）。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Victoria Nguyen
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Insane
Helena
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This solidified I would read anything by Patrick Radden Keefe。 It read like a family drama novel mixed with white collar crime while also being incredible informative and detailed。 It is chilling how the Sackler family basically got away with what they did。 Side note that the Sacklers remind me of the Roys on Succession and I would totally watch an HBO series on this。
Tony
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A non fiction page turner。 This is an exceptional piece of journalism and reporting and writing。 Family biography （warts and all） History of pharmaceutical industry Insight into Government regulations over medicine An in-depth examination of a public health crisis。 I learned so very much。 And it is brilliant written。
Jess Hoopengardner
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Impressively researched and incredibly infuriating。
Joe Finch
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Incredibly eye-opening read about the pharma industry， particularly spotlighting one of the most despicable families to ever live。 We all knew that big pharma is corrupt and govt allows their lobby to influence， but this is beyond what I ever could’ve imagined actually happened to allow a drug like OxyContin to thrive around the world。 Although this book is disheartening and frustrating at every turn， it’s also an important read to showcase just how morally flawed our entire system is， from the Incredibly eye-opening read about the pharma industry， particularly spotlighting one of the most despicable families to ever live。 We all knew that big pharma is corrupt and govt allows their lobby to influence， but this is beyond what I ever could’ve imagined actually happened to allow a drug like OxyContin to thrive around the world。 Although this book is disheartening and frustrating at every turn， it’s also an important read to showcase just how morally flawed our entire system is， from the courts to the FDA。 I thought the author did a tremendous job starting from the ground floor and showing how the Sackler family started out potentially noble and ended up as nothing more than a glorified cartel。 A must read for everyone who goes to doctors and has ever been prescribed meds， and a very， very hard read for anyone who has been affected by opioid addiction。 。。。more
Sue Hedin
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Engrossing， highly researched and detailed epic tale of the Sackler family's greed， philanthropy and complicity in producing and marketing oxycontin with knowledge of it's role in the growing opioid epidemic。 Engrossing， highly researched and detailed epic tale of the Sackler family's greed， philanthropy and complicity in producing and marketing oxycontin with knowledge of it's role in the growing opioid epidemic。 。。。more
Debbie
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READ THIS BOOK。 Your brain and your body will thank you。One of the most meticulously researched and narratively compelling non-fiction I've ever read。An exceptional， compulsive， and downright horrifying portrayal of the pinnacle of greed。 READ THIS BOOK。 Your brain and your body will thank you。One of the most meticulously researched and narratively compelling non-fiction I've ever read。An exceptional， compulsive， and downright horrifying portrayal of the pinnacle of greed。 。。。more
Monique Abbett
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Reading this while watching Dope Sick was a great combination of educating me on the horrors of this pandemic combined with the evils of not only Big Pharma but the Sackler family specifically。 Ugh。
Cheryl
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This was an amazing book。 As the author wrote in the afterward， "There are many good books about the opioid crisis。 My intention was to tell a different kind of story， however， a saga about three generations of a family dynasty and the ways in which it changed the world， a story about ambition， philanthropy， crime and impunity， the corruption of institutions， power and greed。" Patrick Radden Keefe absolutely nailed it。 This is a must read for anyone who enjoys sweeping family sagas and wants to This was an amazing book。 As the author wrote in the afterward， "There are many good books about the opioid crisis。 My intention was to tell a different kind of story， however， a saga about three generations of a family dynasty and the ways in which it changed the world， a story about ambition， philanthropy， crime and impunity， the corruption of institutions， power and greed。" Patrick Radden Keefe absolutely nailed it。 This is a must read for anyone who enjoys sweeping family sagas and wants to truly understand how the opioid crisis became totally out of control。 。。。more
Carolyn
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A fascinating and insightful account of the dynasty behind Purdue Pharma。 Starting with the patriarch， Arthur Sackler， Radden Keefe provides insights into the personalities and family dynamics that led to the introduction and aggressive marketing of OxyContin。 Although I knew the bones of the Sackler/Purdue Pharma story， this book shed light on a lot of the family history that led to today’s reckoning （eg。 Arthur Sackler’s first venture was a marketing firm）。 Highly recommend。
Jenn
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Excellent investigative reporting here。 I couldn’t put it down and was disgusted at the same time。
Jennifer
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Well researched and written。 In my opinion a must read in terms of understanding the greed that contributed to the opioid crisis that has touched so many of our lives， and continues to be a national health crisis…The Sackler family is as reprehensible and disconnected as one might imagine， maybe even more。
Drew Weaver
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"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary is dependent upon his not knowing it" - Upton Sinclair。 By the time a Tennessee politician drops this line to the Sacklers in a courtroom， in 2019 and 500 pages into this book， the "not knowing" has gone on for decades。 Equal parts fascinating and enraging， this also speaks to what the book is: a dive into corporate culture， business， and the personalities profiting off of OC。 Those looking for technical or scientific understa "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary is dependent upon his not knowing it" - Upton Sinclair。 By the time a Tennessee politician drops this line to the Sacklers in a courtroom， in 2019 and 500 pages into this book， the "not knowing" has gone on for decades。 Equal parts fascinating and enraging， this also speaks to what the book is: a dive into corporate culture， business， and the personalities profiting off of OC。 Those looking for technical or scientific understanding of addiction might be left wanting a tiny bit， but I found the entire thing enthralling。 The extensive history of Arthur， the first generation of Sackler brothers， and the early marketing firms within pharma in the 50s and 60s is a worthwhile read in its own right。 However， when the family of the man so responsible for bringing advertising into the drug industry are the ones to perfect this shady synergy in the form of Oxycontin， it becomes a must read。 I am still trying to calm myself down; the corruption， lies， and blatant disregard for human life is enough to get anyone worked up （and in this we can add it is not merely Purdue Pharma， as the FDA， overzealous physicians， and others are culpable as well）。 Though we are only one week into 2022， it is not hyperbolic to say that come December this will be on the short list for the best books I have read this year。 。。。more
Jane Spiteri
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Big Pharma。 Ad Men。 Medical Journals。 Salesmen。 Doctors。 Politicians。 All in bed together， or worse， Big Pharma has all the rest of them in their pocket， to do their bidding。 To spread their lies。 To promote the "science" of a product that had no backing of science， just a desperation to sell sell sell， regardless of the toll it takes on society。 And this family。 HOLY SHIT。 Hiding behind their philanthropy， never conceding the damage they wreak， in fact， taking great efforts to keep their busine Big Pharma。 Ad Men。 Medical Journals。 Salesmen。 Doctors。 Politicians。 All in bed together， or worse， Big Pharma has all the rest of them in their pocket， to do their bidding。 To spread their lies。 To promote the "science" of a product that had no backing of science， just a desperation to sell sell sell， regardless of the toll it takes on society。 And this family。 HOLY SHIT。 Hiding behind their philanthropy， never conceding the damage they wreak， in fact， taking great efforts to keep their business separate from their "good" family name。 This book continually shocked and appalled me。 In light of how pharma is affecting our lives these day， should we question more？ Someone is getting filthy rich from this pandemic。 Fun fact: My sister went to high school with Dr。 David Juurlink: “The primary goal of medical practice is the relief of suffering， and one of the most common types of suffering that doctors see is pain，” David Juurlink， who runs the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto， pointed out。 “You’ve got a patient in pain， you’ve got a doctor who genuinely wants to help， and now suddenly you have an intervention that—we are told—is safe and effective。” What the company was really selling， some of Purdue’s marketing materials suggested， was “hope in a bottle。” 。。。more
Kyle Carnegie
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As one who shares a surname with an infamous Rober-baron， I understand some of the baggage that comes with having an instantly recognized name plasterd all over buildings and streets， that said， I recognize the sins of my family （even though I'm only very distantly related） and the pain and suffering caused by Andrew Carnegie as he exploited immigrants and poor laborers。 He looks like a Saint compared to the atrocities and crimes against humanity conducted by the sackler family。 This book lays o As one who shares a surname with an infamous Rober-baron， I understand some of the baggage that comes with having an instantly recognized name plasterd all over buildings and streets， that said， I recognize the sins of my family （even though I'm only very distantly related） and the pain and suffering caused by Andrew Carnegie as he exploited immigrants and poor laborers。 He looks like a Saint compared to the atrocities and crimes against humanity conducted by the sackler family。 This book lays out in exquisite detail the corruption， lies， and manipulation that a family employed for generations giving the reason people hate and distrust "big pharma"。 。。。more
Julie
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Excellently written and compelling account of corporate and American greed and malfeasance。 Wow！
Barbara
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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。 The three Sacklers were physicians which is re 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。 The three Sacklers were physicians which is remarkable given the anti-Semitism at elite medical schools at the time。 Arthur had an interest in psychiatry after working at a mental institution。 Arthur was convinced mental illness was a chemical imbalance in the brain and conducted research in drug trials。 He struck gold in creating Valium。 With the Valium funds， he bought an advertising firm and a small drug manufacturer， Perdue。 Arthur brought in his two brothers to run the business。 Arthur was the brother who found the holy grail of advertising。 In fact， I believe Arthur is the pioneer of medical advertising， especially “creative” advertising。 He knew ads sold， and he especially targeted physicians。 The three brothers also started collecting art when their fortunes were high。 They were noted as big philanthropic giving to many institutions。Meanwhile， Purdue created the opioid OxyContin。 They marketed it as non-addictive and the gold standard of pain relief， especially for chronic pain suffers。 Their business mission was to alleviate chronic pain。 What I learned from this is how big pharma gets away with advertising and political connections。 The FDA doesn’t come out too well here。 I am overjoyed that Keefe exposed the history of the Sackler family and how they made billions of dollars。 I don’t think this flagrant abuse of power ends with the Sackler family。I am hoping that this story ignites a fire in all of us to question what these pharmaceutical ads are doing。 Advertising directed at physicians tilt their opinions of the necessity of some medications。 And the public sees the advertising and agree with the physician。What this book exposed is the drive to make money。 Pharmaceutical companies create drugs to sell。 They find target markets and more importantly， create markets。 What might start with a pain reliever for cancer patients， a creative pharmaceutical company “targets” other medical specialties that treat pain。 Sacklers went after pediatrics as well as orthopedics。 The ethics of marketing pharmaceuticals needs an overhaul。 What Keefe showed is that the FDA is not to be relied upon nor are they the ethics of this industry。Pain management continues to haunt our society。 The Sackler family advertised themselves as the saviors to these sufferers。 They strongly believed their product did good when taken as directed。 Even with obvious evidence that their drug had a high addiction rate。 As of this date， there are no easy answers， and there are many chronic pain sufferers that have no relief。 And as of this date， there are no ethical group governing the industry。 It wasn’t until the state governments got involved， especially Maura Healy， the Attorney General of Massachusetts， and other government officials in other states came down hard。 The Sacklers capitalized on marketing， making billions of dollars。 They got caught。 I’m left with wondering what other big pharma is pushing their drug and creating more harm than good。 There are bad drugs out there that doctors， media， and advertisers push to the public。 I hope these stories educate us to be a bit wary of meds。 Sacklers aren’t the only ones motivated by greed。 The audio is a bit over 18 hours。 The author narrates it， and he is a perfect narrator。 This is a story that begs to be told。 Listening to the book is easy， and I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Dominykas
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