Patrick Radden Keefe’s Empire of Pain investigates the Sackler family’s involvement in the opioid crisis. It offers profound insights into their history and Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical company responsible for creating OxyContin, a potent and addictive painkiller. Keefe’s writing is gripping, and his research is meticulous as he takes the reader through generations of the Sackler family, detailing their accumulation of immense wealth and power and their connections to the art world, philanthropy, and politics.

The book’s examination of the opioid crisis is particularly striking, as Keefe profiles individuals who suffered from OxyContin addiction and families who lost loved ones to overdose. Furthermore, he emphasizes the efforts of activists and lawmakers who have taken steps to hold the Sacklers accountable for their role in the crisis.

The book Empire of Pain is a powerful critique of corporate greed and its harmful societal effects. Keefe’s storytelling ability and meticulousness in research make it essential reading for those seeking to comprehend the roots of the opioid crisis and the factors that sustain it. Additionally, it serves as a cautionary tale about the pharmaceutical industry’s requirement for increased accountability and responsibility and the risks of unrestricted capitalism.