In September, the Actual Book Club will dive into the world of fortunes, scandals, and drugs that have changed the face of modern medicine – and ruined the lives of millions of people. 📅 On September 10, we will discuss "Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty" by Patrick Radden Keefe – a monumental report on the Sackler family, who first gained fame as patrons of the arts and later amassed a fortune in the opioid market. Keefe reconstructs the history of a dynasty that managed to mask ruthless greed with the image of philanthropists. The Sackler brothers created OxyContin – a drug marketed as a safe alternative to morphine, but in reality, twice as potent and highly addictive. Their aggressive marketing campaign became one of the driving forces behind the opioid crisis, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans. We will talk about how philanthropy can be a tool for masking guilt. About how big business corrupts public institutions. And about how non-fiction literature portrays the dramas embedded in the logic of capitalism – without embellishment and without leniency. "Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty," Patrick Radden Keefe, Wydawnictwo Czarne The discussion will be led by Aleksandra Pakieła. Join us! 📅 September 10, 6:30 PM 📍 Wrzenie Świata, ul. Gałczyńskiego 12, Warsaw Co-financed by: City of Warsaw
