Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Empire of Pain summary
The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
19 mins
Brief summary
Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe is a gripping account of the Sackler family's multi-billion dollar empire, built on the sale of OxyContin, and the tragic consequences of the opioid epidemic they fueled.
Table of Contents
Empire of Pain
Summary of 7 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 7
Chapter 1: Arthur and his kid brothers.
From a young age, Arthur Sackler was a hustler. In high school he worked for the school paper where he sold ads on commission. He had so many side gigs that he had to give some over to his younger brothers, Mortimer and Raymond.
He kept it up in college, too, graduating in the middle of the Great Depression with enough money to buy his parents a grocery store in Brooklyn. He then enrolled in medical school at NYU and took a full course load while maintaining extracurriculars and several jobs.
After med school, Arthur would work all day at a state psychiatric hospital, and then spend evenings and weekends working for a medical advertising agency, called William McAdams. Arthur quickly scaled the ranks there. He was named President after just two years, and eventually bought the firm.
Being a doctor himself, Arthur’s ad campaigns appealed directly to physicians. He placed them in medical journals, and sent literature to doctors’ offices. He also enlisted prominent doctors, and sometimes fake ones, to sell his products. Over his career, Arthur would transform pharmaceutical advertising–colleagues claimed he really invented the wheel.
One drug in particular helped make Arthur rich. His advertising campaigns for Valium, a minor tranquilizer produced by the company Roche, focused on convincing physicians to prescribe it for just about any ailment, major or minor. For years it was the most prescribed drug in America.
Mortimer and Raymond would also become doctors. Still, Arthur couldn’t stop thinking of them as his kid brothers.
He would get them both jobs at the psychiatric hospital (where he continued to work). The three of them would eventually start a research center there that explored drug treatment options that could replace shock therapy and lobotomies, which were standard practices at the time.
Then in 1952, Arthur decided to purchase a pharmaceutical company for his kid brothers. It was a tiny company, but it had a good, patrician name: Purdue Frederick.
Want to see all full key ideas from Empire of Pain?
Key ideas in Empire of Pain
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Empire of Pain about?
Empire of Pain (2021) follows the rise and fall of the elusive Sacklers, the billionaire family behind Purdue Pharma. Its blockbuster drug, OxyContin, was aggressively marketed as safe, but would go on to spur a devastating opioid crisis that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Yet the Sacklers’ fortress of lawyers, political connections and a philanthropic name would, time and again, protect them from responsibility.
Empire of Pain Review
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty (2021) delves deep into the captivating and controversial story of the Sackler family, the makers of OxyContin. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Offers a meticulously researched account of the rise and fall of the Sackler empire, providing a comprehensive understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and its impact on society.
- Provides insightful and thought-provoking analysis of the Sackler family's business practices and their role in the opioid crisis, shedding light on important social and ethical issues.
- Keefe's skillful storytelling keeps readers engaged from start to finish, making this complex and controversial topic accessible and compelling.
Who should read Empire of Pain?
- Current affairs enthusiasts
- Lovers of family dynasty dramas
- Anyone wanting to understand the opioid crisis
Categories with Empire of Pain
Book summaries like Empire of Pain
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Empire of Pain FAQs
What is the main message of Empire of Pain?
The main message of Empire of Pain is the dark history and impact of the Sackler family's involvement in the opioid crisis.
How long does it take to read Empire of Pain?
The reading time for Empire of Pain varies depending on the reader, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Empire of Pain a good book? Is it worth reading?
Empire of Pain is a thought-provoking and eye-opening book that delves into a significant issue. It offers a comprehensive and revealing perspective on the opioid crisis.
Who is the author of Empire of Pain?
Patrick Radden Keefe is the author of Empire of Pain.
What to read after Empire of Pain?
If you're wondering what to read next after Empire of Pain, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Material World by Ed Conway
- The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara
- The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
- The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- The Anarchy by William Dalrymple
- The New Map by Daniel Yergin
- A City on Mars by Kelly Weinersmith & Zach Weinersmith
- House of Huawei by Eva Dou
- Better Small Talk by Patrick King
- Emotional Ignorance by Dean Burnett