Week 12 Prompt

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Author: Patrick Radden Keefe

Title: Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

Publication Date: April 2021

Number of Pages: 560 pages

Subject Headings: Sackler, Arthur M. -- Family Purdue Pharma L.P. -- History Rich people -- United States -- Biography Pharmaceutical industry -- Marketing Pharmaceutical industry -- Corrupt practices Oxycodone -- History

Book Summary:     Keefe takes a methodical and detailed look at the history of the Sackler Dynasty, starting with the man who began it all Arthur M. Sackler. The book begins by dissecting the oldest Sackler brother's meteoric rise to prominence in the medical, pharmaceutical, and marketing fields. The remaining two-thirds of the book concerns itself with Purdue Fredrick, and later Purdue Pharma, and how under the stewardship of the Sacklers the company created the opioid Oxycontin and got it on the market. Through aggressive marketing tactics, and a lot of money, Oxycontin's sales rocketed through the roof and in many ways created (and laid the groundwork for) the opioid crisis.

1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum?      □  Highly narrative       ▣  A Mix        □   Highly Fact Bases

2. What is the subject of the book?     The covers two major subjects. The first subject is the Sackler Family and their extensive history. The second subject is Oxycontin, its impact on the country, and the fallout with the Sackler family.

3. What type of book is it?          This book is part history and part true crime.

4. Articulate appeal What is the pacing of the book?     The pacing is a nonstop timeline of the Sackler family and  Oxycontin. Describe the characters of the book.     The first part of the book, Patriarch, follows Arthur M. Sackler. Arthur is the main person that this part revolves around. This does give a little bit of a background of Arthur's two younger brothers, Mortimer and Raymond. The second section, Dynasty, concerns itself with Richard Sackler, Raymond's son. This part specifically focuses on Richard's in Purdue Pharma and Oxycontin. The last section, Legacy, covers the two sides of the Oxy-Sackler part of the Sackler family.  How does the story feel?     Keefe spent countless hours doing research in order to create a detailed, narrative timeline.    What is the intent of the author?     The author's intent is to inform the reader about the Sackler family and the role they played in the opioid crisis.  What is the focus of the story?     The focus is the Sackler family, their philanthropy, and in contrast the heavy role they played in the opioid epidemic.  Does the language matter?     Language does matter. A lot of the book had to do with pharmaceuticals or legal proceedings.  Is the setting important and well-described?     There was not one set setting. It wasn't something that was central to the story, as much of it was happening everywhere. The book was more concerned with the what and why rather than the where.  Are there details and, if so, of what?     Keefe's chief concern was the details of the book. Details are at the center of this book, so much so that there is an appendix where he cites all of his sources and interview. He states in his notes on sources that he reached out to the Sackler Family, but they made little to no comments.  Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? There were no charts or graphics, and they were not needed.  Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience?     I believe that this book stresses moments of understanding. It is evident from reading this book that Keefe wants to lay bare the actions and inaction of the Sackler Family, especially in relation to the drug Oxycontin.

5. Why would a reader enjoy this book? (1) The reader likes a narrative that is detailed and well-written.  (2) The reader has an interest in how we came to market pharmaceuticals. (3) The reader has an interest in secret histories.