Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

Well documented and written history of the rise of the Sackler brothers, who started out as the struggling sons of immigrants and ended up filthy rich owners of Purdue, the pharmaceutical company that peddled prescription opioids long after the brothers knew the impact of the addiction they fostered. It's easy to hate those directly involved in the Oxycontin tragedy; it's more interesting to read about the nieces, nephews and grandchildren who grew up rich thanks to their family's business but eschewed any responsibility since they weren't didn't work for Purdue. You have to shake your head in disgust at the Sackler family member who made an award-winning documentary about mass incarceration but never acknowledged the role that the opioid crisis, largely created by her family, played in increasing the prison population. To this day, although Purdue had to pay a large fine (after the family hid as much money as possible in off-shore accounts) and the Sackler name was removed from many museums, libraries, and galleries, the Sacklers remain filthy rich and have yet to acknowledge that they played even a tiny role in one of the biggest public health crises of the past 100 years. They'll never face any sort of justice, but at least this book makes sure that we know the crimes they committed against humanity. Note: Keefe doesn't devote much time to the victims of the opioid crisis, but read Sam Quinones' [b:Dream Land 41443876 Dream Land Sam Quinones https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png 41977045] or Beth Macy's [b:Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America 37486540 Dopesick Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America Beth Macy https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533010748l/37486540.SY75.jpg 59097428] if you want that side of the story.