Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Empire of Pain, please sign up.

Answered Questions (8)

Danita L None of these people have a soul. I don't believe any of them are capable of friendship.…moreNone of these people have a soul. I don't believe any of them are capable of friendship.(less)
Melissa Dec. 2021 Update:
"McMahon called into question the authority of the bankruptcy court in allowing the Sackler family members to escape litigation witho…more
Dec. 2021 Update:
"McMahon called into question the authority of the bankruptcy court in allowing the Sackler family members to escape litigation without filing for bankruptcy themselves. US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following her ruling issued a statement asserting that 'the bankruptcy court did not have the authority to deprive victims of the opioid crisis of their right to sue the Sackler family.'”

https://www.artforum.com/news/purdue-...(less)
Pam I loved the audio version, with the caveat that at times it would’ve been helpful to have access to an index (ie, to remember who certain characters w…moreI loved the audio version, with the caveat that at times it would’ve been helpful to have access to an index (ie, to remember who certain characters were). Like Elizabeth, I’m not sure I would’ve gotten through the print version. The author’s narration of his own book is compelling(less)
Avid Using scientific principles to develop pharmaceuticals is not a criminal enterprise. It has saved, improved, and extended the lives of much of humanit…moreUsing scientific principles to develop pharmaceuticals is not a criminal enterprise. It has saved, improved, and extended the lives of much of humanity for over a century. If you read this book, and i highly recommend you do, you will learn that this particular family used a sterile, uncompassionate business model to build their personal wealth, with reckless disregard for the well-being of humanity. Even after the scientific feedback showed their claims regarding dependency to be false, they doubled down on pushing their highly-addictive drug on societies all over the world. They used their money and influence to buy off underpaid government employees to approve their drugs. This is what separates them from legitimate pharmaceutical companies who respond to scientific feedback in appropriate ways. In publicly-traded companies, where financial statements and other documentation are available for public scrutiny, this would be impossible.

Scientific methods require ongoing testing, feedback, and response. Long-term side effects can never be known with 100% certainty, but that doesn’t make all pharmaceuticals worthless or devious. We need to be vigilant about ensuring that developers of pharmaceuticals are appropriately following up on data coming from their users, and there are systems in place to ensure that happens in all publicly-traded companies. If you want to express outrage with the pharmaceutical industry, you would be better served to direct that outrage toward private, family-owned pharmaceutical companies such as Purdue Pharma who ignore oversight efforts and regulation with impunity in pursuit of personal gain. (less)
Holly I think it is entirely reasonable to suspect the same thing has happened with the Covid-19 vaccinations. Why wouldn't someone suspect it? There is a t…moreI think it is entirely reasonable to suspect the same thing has happened with the Covid-19 vaccinations. Why wouldn't someone suspect it? There is a ton of money involved, and on-going forced demand. I don't believe there is any strong proof that the vaccinations do what they say. How can they prove that someone would have a different outcome on the basis being vaccinated or not? They can't. They didn't run their study for very long, and ended the blind aspect when they informed all the participants of their status (whether vaccinated or not). And as they (the pharma companies) release their full documention we see the laundry list of side effects. Why would you trust any pharma drug? The best thing to do is to stay healthy, and avoid medications as much as possible. I think if anything, that is a very strong message from this book. And not all doctors recommend the vaccine. Mine didn't. I had covid in April and survived with no demands on health services. Those that are at risk for severe outcomes can take the chance on the vaccine, but I don't believe it is the right choice for those not at high risk. (less)

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more