WARNING: It's pretty much impossible to come away from this book without feeling a lot of things, especially rage.
In this book, Patrick Radden Keefe dWARNING: It's pretty much impossible to come away from this book without feeling a lot of things, especially rage.
In this book, Patrick Radden Keefe does a fantastic job of first explaining how the Sackler brothers built themselves into a pharmaceutical marketing powerhouse. He then moves directly into the opioid crisis and the role played by Purdue Pharma (one of the Sackler companies) and Oxycontin.
One thing that makes this book so powerful is that Mr. Keefe does a brilliant job of drawing connections between people and events for the reader. This book isn't just about Oxycontin. The author lays out a compelling case showing how the Sacklers' marketing ploys not only drove the rise of Oxycontin, but also changed the manner in which drugs get marketed in general, often for the worse. His connecting of the dots between the Sacklers and some questionable (to put it charitably) shenanigans at the FDA was also well done. The Sacklers' effect on the industry has been pervasive, and as I read through the history of the rise of this family and their businesses, I could also see the seeds of so many pieces of our current healthcare crisis in this country. It's a hellish legacy they've left us.
The other aspect I liked about this book is one that I've admired in other works by Mr. Keefe. His research is relentlessly footnoted and well-sourced. This may be partly defensive because I suspect his subjects would have no problem filing suit if he colored outside the lines. However, this also shows respect for the reader. We don't need to accept the author's hypotheses about the Sacklers and the opioid crisis simply because he said so; we have the receipts right there if we care to check them. Or, if we're curious and want to learn more, we have places to go to read further.
In terms of picking favorites, I'd give Say Nothing the edge over this book, but Empire of Pain is still very well done. And, the more I follow news related to the drug industry, the more important I think this book is....more
After seeing Wendy and Kay rave about this book, I knew I needed to try it. Since my commute these days involves walking upstairs, I opted for the deaAfter seeing Wendy and Kay rave about this book, I knew I needed to try it. Since my commute these days involves walking upstairs, I opted for the dead tree book rather than the audio. Still a very good read, though.
This book is partly about the kidnapping and murder of Jean McConville, and also quite a bit about the Troubles in Northern Ireland and the peace process there. I went into the book knowing some of the vague outlines of the story, but I learned a lot as I read. The author does a fantastic job of showing how history is still very much alive in Northern Ireland. The rise of the IRA and the height of the unrest there did not happen so very long ago, after all.
This becomes very clear when the author talks about what happened with the Boston College oral history project. Various parties, including Brendan Hughes and Delours Price, of whom we learn much in this book, went on record talking about their experiences as members of a violent paramilitary organization. Designed to be kept confidential until after sources' deaths, the project ended in disaster as its existence became known and police were able to subpoena the tapes.
While the book talks a great deal about Jean McConville and the tragedies endured by her children after her murder, it also winds its way through the 70s-90s with much discussion of the IRA, the rise of Sinn Fein and the peace process. The author does a fabulous job of explaining what drove various parties to find common cause with the IRA and to engage in violence, as well as showing how several of these folks ended up disillusioned.
Gerry Adams, who has gone on to have a political career, definitely does not come off well in this book. I have read many accounts which mention rumors of IRA involvement while primarily associating him with Sinn Fein. However, in this book, the author not only definitively establishes Gerry Adams' roots in the IRA but links him to some of the worst violent acts they carried out. In Mr. Keefe's accounting, Adams also appears to have gaslit his comrades and thrown some of his close associates under the bus in his bid for respectability.
This book is very well researched and written. And it is haunting. I found it so not only because of the murder of Jean McConville and what became of her family afterward, but also because of the ways in which the author is able to show the lingering grip of the past moving forward into the present day....more
3.5 stars The author, Mark Sanford's former speechwriter, has all kinds of interesting stories to tell in this book. His insights into life on the gov3.5 stars The author, Mark Sanford's former speechwriter, has all kinds of interesting stories to tell in this book. His insights into life on the governor's staff in the days leading up to that infamous hike on the Appalachian Trail definitely caught my interest. In some ways, the book is very revealing as Swaim pulls back the curtain and gives readers glimpses into what often sounds like a seriously dysfunctional governor's office. The "fly on the wall" feeling of this book, along with the author's own sense of humor, makes for entertaining reading.
However, I couldn't escape the conclusion that this book could have been so much more. Swaim tells us several times, for example, that the job took a real toll on him, his family, his marriage, etc... This all gets glossed over in the book, though. Likewise, I found the anecdotes about trying to decipher the governor's writing voice and the quirks of the job very interesting, but the overall analysis tying Swaim's experiences to modern political life as a whole felt a touch weak. Still intriguing reading, but I could have used a bit more....more
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