Summary of Patrick Radden Keefe's Empire of Pain

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Patrick Radden Keefe's Empire of Pain in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: The Sackler name adorns the walls of many storied institutions - Harvard, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Oxford, the Louvre. They are one of the richest families in the world, known for their lavish donations to the arts and the sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that the Sacklers were responsible for making and marketing a blockbuster painkiller that was the catalyst for the opioid crisis.

Empire of Pain begins with the story of three doctor brothers, Raymond, Mortimer and the incalculably energetic Arthur, who weathered the poverty of the Great Depression and appalling anti-Semitism. Working at a barbaric mental institution, Arthur saw a better way and conducted groundbreaking research into drug treatments. He also had a genius for marketing, especially for pharmaceuticals, and bought a small ad firm.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jun 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638155317

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

In the early 1900s, Isaac Sackler, an immigrant from the Austrian empire, married Sophie Greenberg, an immigrant from Poland. They settled in Brooklyn, and had Arthur, Mortimer, and Raymond.

#2

Isaac successfully operated a grocery store with his brother at 83 Montrose Avenue in Williamsburg, then moved to Flatbush after making enough money to get into real estate.

#3

Arthur enrolled in Erasmus Hall High School. As the oldest child, his family was banking on him and his education. He was a diligent student. He also made money on the side by selling ads and writing for student magazines. He even was able to pass some of the work to his brothers.

#4

After failing in some business endeavors, and with the beginning of the Great Depression, Isaac’s fortunes started declining. Arthur was forced to pay for his own education by working multiple jobs. Arthur ended up enrolling at New York University as a premed student.

#5

Arthur graduated in 1933 and was accepted to medical school at New York University.

#6

Despite the financial stability that would come with being a doctor, Arthur wanted to chase his entrepreneurial passions. During college, he picked up a job as a copywriter for a German pharmaceutical company called Schering.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

As a German immigrant doctor, Marietta Lutze was forced to do two internships to be eligible to sit for the New York