Close Menu
The Sober CuratorThe Sober Curator
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • ❤️ CONTENT
    • CONTRIBUTOR DIRECTORY
    • DEAR READERS✏️
    • MEET THE SOBER CURATOR
    • 📰 PRESS 📺
    • THE SOBEES 🐝
    • CONTACT 📧
  • HAPPY EVERY HOUR
    • NA BEERS AND CIDERS 🍺
    • NON-ALCOHOLIC WINES 🍾
    • NON-ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS 🍸
    • READY TO DRINK 🥤
    • BEHIND THE BAR 🍋‍🟩
    • NA TASTING EVENTS CALENDAR 🗓️
  • HEALTH & WELLNESS
    • BREAK FREE
    • CODEPENDENCY
    • MASTERING MENTAL FITNESS 🧠💪🏼
    • MENTAL HEALTH 🧠
    • RELATIONSHIPS 🤟🏽
    • SOBER NOT SUBTLE
    • SOBER POETRY 🖋️
    • SPEAK OUT! SPEAK LOUD! 🗣️
    • SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE 🧬
    • WELLNESS AS A WAY OF LIFE
  • LIFESTYLE
    • #ADDTOCART 🛍️
    • ASK MRS. (W)RIGHT ⁉️
    • COMING OUT SOBER 🏳️‍🌈
    • 🏆 CONTENT
    • ✂️CURATED CRAFTS🎨
    • FASHION 👠
    • SHOP 🛒
    • SOBER SPOTLIGHT 🔦
    • SOBER CONTENT CREATION 💻
    • SOBER UNBUZZED FEED
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • #QUITLIT 📚
    • MOVIE REVIEWS 🍿
    • MUSIC 🎶
    • POPCULTURE
    • RECOVERY PODCASTLAND 🎙️
    • SOBER CURATOR PODCAST 🎧
    • SOBER EVENTS CALENDAR 🗓️
    • SOBER SPORTS
    • TV SHOW REVIEWS 📺
  • TRAVEL & EVENTS
    • SOBER EVENTS CALENDAR 🗓️
    • SOBER RETREATS CALENDAR 🗓️
    • SOBRIETY IN THE CITY
      • SOBER IN MINNEAPOLIS
      • SOBER IN NYC
      • SOBER IN SEATTLE
    • WHAT A TRIP! 🧳
  • SPIRITUAL GANGSTER
    • THE CARD DIVO 🔮
    • CLASSY PROBLEMS
    • SOBERCAST
    • SOBERSCOPES
    • SOBRIETY IN FLOW 🧘🏻‍♀️
    • THIRSTY FOR WONDER
    • SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE 🧬
    • STOICISM
  • RECOVERY RESOURCES
    • ALCOHOL & SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER RESOURCE GUIDE
    • BREAK FREE FOUNDATION
    • FAMILY RESOURCES
    • GLOSSARY OF ADDICTION AND RECOVERY TERMS
    • LGBTQ+ RECOVERY RESOURCES
    • RECOVERY STORIES
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
The Sober CuratorThe Sober Curator
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • ❤️ CONTENT
    • CONTRIBUTOR DIRECTORY
    • DEAR READERS✏️
    • MEET THE SOBER CURATOR
    • 📰 PRESS 📺
    • THE SOBEES 🐝
    • CONTACT 📧
  • HAPPY EVERY HOUR
    • NA BEERS AND CIDERS 🍺
    • NON-ALCOHOLIC WINES 🍾
    • NON-ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS 🍸
    • READY TO DRINK 🥤
    • BEHIND THE BAR 🍋‍🟩
    • NA TASTING EVENTS CALENDAR 🗓️
  • HEALTH & WELLNESS
    • BREAK FREE
    • CODEPENDENCY
    • MASTERING MENTAL FITNESS 🧠💪🏼
    • MENTAL HEALTH 🧠
    • RELATIONSHIPS 🤟🏽
    • SOBER NOT SUBTLE
    • SOBER POETRY 🖋️
    • SPEAK OUT! SPEAK LOUD! 🗣️
    • SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE 🧬
    • WELLNESS AS A WAY OF LIFE
  • LIFESTYLE
    • #ADDTOCART 🛍️
    • ASK MRS. (W)RIGHT ⁉️
    • COMING OUT SOBER 🏳️‍🌈
    • 🏆 CONTENT
    • ✂️CURATED CRAFTS🎨
    • FASHION 👠
    • SHOP 🛒
    • SOBER SPOTLIGHT 🔦
    • SOBER CONTENT CREATION 💻
    • SOBER UNBUZZED FEED
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • #QUITLIT 📚
    • MOVIE REVIEWS 🍿
    • MUSIC 🎶
    • POPCULTURE
    • RECOVERY PODCASTLAND 🎙️
    • SOBER CURATOR PODCAST 🎧
    • SOBER EVENTS CALENDAR 🗓️
    • SOBER SPORTS
    • TV SHOW REVIEWS 📺
  • TRAVEL & EVENTS
    • SOBER EVENTS CALENDAR 🗓️
    • SOBER RETREATS CALENDAR 🗓️
    • SOBRIETY IN THE CITY
      • SOBER IN MINNEAPOLIS
      • SOBER IN NYC
      • SOBER IN SEATTLE
    • WHAT A TRIP! 🧳
  • SPIRITUAL GANGSTER
    • THE CARD DIVO 🔮
    • CLASSY PROBLEMS
    • SOBERCAST
    • SOBERSCOPES
    • SOBRIETY IN FLOW 🧘🏻‍♀️
    • THIRSTY FOR WONDER
    • SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE 🧬
    • STOICISM
  • RECOVERY RESOURCES
    • ALCOHOL & SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER RESOURCE GUIDE
    • BREAK FREE FOUNDATION
    • FAMILY RESOURCES
    • GLOSSARY OF ADDICTION AND RECOVERY TERMS
    • LGBTQ+ RECOVERY RESOURCES
    • RECOVERY STORIES
The Sober CuratorThe Sober Curator
Home - An Unraveling of Greed: Evan Hughes’ Pain Hustlers Exposes the Dark Side of Big Pharma
#QUITLIT

An Unraveling of Greed: Evan Hughes’ Pain Hustlers Exposes the Dark Side of Big Pharma

Alexandra NymanBy Alexandra NymanSeptember 24, 20244 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

In Pain Hustlers (originally published as The Hard Sell), Evan Hughes weaves a true crime narrative with a scathing exposé of the American pharmaceutical industry. Hughes takes readers deep into the underbelly of Insys Therapeutics, a small, Phoenix-based pharmaceutical company that achieved staggering profits by pushing a potent fentanyl spray called Subsys onto the market—at the cost of countless lives. Now adapted into a Netflix movie starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans, Hughes’ investigative work offers an unflinching look at the greed and power that fueled one of the recent most flagrant examples of corporate malfeasance.

An Unraveling of Greed: Evan Hughes’ Pain Hustlers Exposes the Dark Side of Big Pharma

Much like its predecessors in the opioid crisis, Insys was driven by one singular motive: profit. The company was founded by John Kapoor, an eccentric entrepreneur with ambitions far beyond his first million, and thrived on aggressive, often illegal, marketing tactics. Kapoor and his sales team targeted doctors willing to push their product, often under dubious circumstances, leading to a nationwide epidemic of addiction. Hughes exposes with razor-sharp precision how this company thrived in a system already marred by lax regulations and willing participants in the medical field, resulting in an explosive courtroom drama that ultimately brought Insys crashing down.

At its core, Pain Hustlers is a gripping human drama. Hughes introduces us to the colorful, morally questionable cast of characters that orchestrated Insys’s rise—and eventual fall. Through vivid portraits of these individuals, Hughes humanizes a scandal that could easily get lost in the cold statistics of addiction and corporate greed. He paints a picture of how key figures, driven by ambition, greed, and an astonishing lack of ethics, manipulated an already fraught healthcare system to line their pockets. The story, culminating in a landmark criminal trial in Boston, is a harrowing reminder of the human cost behind corporate profits.

Hughes doesn’t stop at the courtroom, though. His investigative rigor shines as he details how pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma and Cephalon have similarly used underhanded tactics to dominate the opioid market—insidious strategies that continue today, albeit under more discreet guises. He draws chilling parallels between Insys and the wider industry, where greed often trumps patient safety, and regulatory bodies struggle to keep up with ever-evolving schemes.

#ADDTOCART ON AMAZON

What sets Pain Hustlers apart from other explorations of the opioid crisis is its narrative pace and clarity. Hughes balances deeply researched journalism with a novelistic flair, making the book accessible without losing the gravity of the issue. His writing is simultaneously absorbing and enraging, guiding readers through the labyrinth of medical fraud and its devastating consequences on American families. In doing so, Hughes unpacks the systemic flaws that have allowed Big Pharma to operate with impunity, from the persuasive power of drug reps to the lack of oversight in doctor-pharma relationships.

For anyone who has watched the opioid epidemic unfold, Pain Hustlers offers crucial context, transforming abstract outrage into tangible understanding. Hughes deftly reveals the mechanisms of a pharmaceutical industry that, time and again, has prioritized profits over people—often with tragic results. The result is both an indictment of corporate America’s ruthless pursuit of wealth and a tribute to the victims whose lives were forever changed by opioid addiction.

Ultimately, Pain Hustlers is a powerful, engaging, and meticulously researched account of an American crisis that remains as urgent today as when Insys first began peddling Subsys. Hughes’s storytelling compels us to see the human toll behind these corporate actions and demand accountability in an industry where greed has repeatedly proven fatal.

In the same way that No Country for Old Men captured a world of moral decay through suspenseful storytelling, Pain Hustlers forces us to reckon with the darker forces of American capitalism. Hughes’ book is indispensable for anyone trying to understand how we got here and how we might begin to heal from the wreckage.

The Sobees #QUITLIT Score: 3 out of 5 Sobees

The Sobees #QUITLIT Score

THE SOBER CURATOR LIBRARY: We don’t just read books; we immerse ourselves in literary journeys, turn in on Audible, and craft insightful reviews – all while buzzing around to curate a collection that’s simply un-bee-lievable! Our digital shelves are organized alphabetically in three genres: #QUITLIT, Addiction Fiction, and Self-Help.


sobriety for dummies with tamar and lane

Grab Your Copy of Sobriety for Dummies now! Be sure to tune in to the Your Sober Now What? Podcast to hear an expansion on the themes discussed in SFD!

Resources Are Available

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.

follow the sober curator on youtube

Subscribe to The Sober Curator on YouTube

evan hughes evan hughes pain hustlers pain hustlers pain hustlers by evan hughes
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
Alexandra Nyman
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Alexandra Nyman is a fashion designer, marketing professional, and the founder of the Break Free Foundation. When she is not screaming at the top of her lungs, advocating for change, she can be found taking a million pictures of her cat and playing way too much Animal Crossing.

Related Posts

#QUITLIT Book Review_ “UnSweetined” by Jodie Sweetin

#QUITLIT Book Review: “UnSweetined” by Jodie Sweetin — A Full House Star’s Sobriety Story

October 19, 2025
CUDI The Memoir QUITLIT Book review The Sober Curator

“Cudi: The Memoir” – A Journey Through Dreams, Darkness, and Sobriety 

October 9, 2025
27 Addiction Fiction Books We’ve Reviewed _ The Sober Curator

27 Addiction Fiction Books We’ve Reviewed | The Sober Curator

October 2, 2025

Comments are closed.

Top AF Sober Travel Companies USA Today
Sober City Mobile App
SOBERSCRIBE AND GET ON THE LIST!
7 events found.
  • Week of October 27
  • Previous week
  • Next week
Notice
No events scheduled for October 27, 2025.
7:00 pm
Suzanne Warye w/ Casey McGuire Davidson | Seattle
October 28 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT

Suzanne Warye w/ Casey McGuire Davidson | Seattle

Elliott Bay Books Seattle
$28.00
BigVision Halloween Fright Night
October 28 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm PDT

BigVision Halloween Fright Night

BigVision 309 Social Club 309 East 49th Street @ 2nd Ave, New York
$15.00
Notice
No events scheduled for October 29, 2025.
Notice
No events scheduled for October 30, 2025.
7:00 am
Sober October Herbal Mocktail Class
October 31 @ 7:30 am - 9:30 am PDT

Sober October Herbal Mocktail Class

$72.00
6:00 pm
Gay & Sober Presents:  HALLOQUEEN DANCE PARTY | MUSIC BY DJ E.N.
October 31 @ 6:00 pm PDT

Gay & Sober Presents: HALLOQUEEN DANCE PARTY | MUSIC BY DJ E.N.

The Manhattan Mirage 265 W. 37th Street at 8th Avenue , New York City
See website
Soberoke Costume Party at Couve Collective Downtown Vancouver Recovery Cafe
October 31 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm PDT

Soberoke Costume Party at Couve Collective Downtown Vancouver Recovery Cafe

1009 West 13th Street Vancouver, WA 98660 1009 West 13th Street, Vancouver
Free
Ongoing
Rediscover Peace & Purpose in Antigua with Sober Travel Retreats
November 1 @ 7:00 am - November 8 @ 1:00 pm PDT

Rediscover Peace & Purpose in Antigua with Sober Travel Retreats

$3445 – $4995
7:00 am
Sober AF Entertainment: Army Black Knights vs. Air Force Falcons @ Falcon Stadium (Air Force Academy – CO)
November 1 @ 7:00 am - 1:00 pm PDT

Sober AF Entertainment: Army Black Knights vs. Air Force Falcons @ Falcon Stadium (Air Force Academy – CO)

Falcon Stadium 4900 Stadium Boulevard, Air Force Academy
See website
All Day
Thailand Yoga, Culture, & Adventure Retreat in Chiang Mai with Bigger Life Adventures
November 2 - November 9

Thailand Yoga, Culture, & Adventure Retreat in Chiang Mai with Bigger Life Adventures

$1999
Capetown, South Africa
November 2 - November 9

Capetown, South Africa

$4700
Ongoing
Rediscover Peace & Purpose in Antigua with Sober Travel Retreats
November 1 @ 7:00 am - November 8 @ 1:00 pm PDT

Rediscover Peace & Purpose in Antigua with Sober Travel Retreats

$3445 – $4995

Week of Events

Mon 27
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
November 1 @ 7:00 am - November 8 @ 1:00 pm <span class='timezone'> PDT </span>

Rediscover Peace & Purpose in Antigua with Sober Travel Retreats

Rediscover Peace & Purpose in Antigua with Sober Travel Retreats

November 1 @ 7:00 am - November 8 @ 1:00 pm PDT

Rediscover Peace & Purpose in Antigua with Sober Travel Retreats

Rediscover Peace & Purpose in Antigua with Sober Travel Retreats If you’re in recovery—whether newly sober or years into your journey—and ready to reconnect with your purpose, build meaningful connections,

$3445 – $4995
November 1 @ 7:00 am - November 8 @ 1:00 pm <span class='timezone'> PDT </span>

Rediscover Peace & Purpose in Antigua with Sober Travel Retreats

November 2 - November 9

Thailand Yoga, Culture, & Adventure Retreat in Chiang Mai with Bigger Life Adventures

Thailand Yoga, Culture, & Adventure Retreat in Chiang Mai with Bigger Life Adventures

November 2 - November 9

Thailand Yoga, Culture, & Adventure Retreat in Chiang Mai with Bigger Life Adventures

Thailand Yoga, Culture, & Adventure Retreat in Chiang Mai Join us for a rejuvenating week-long yoga retreat near Chiang Mai, Thailand. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the area

$1999
November 2 - November 9

Capetown, South Africa

Capetown, South Africa

November 2 - November 9

Capetown, South Africa

Capetown, South Africa Luxury reset, sightseeing, sobriety and safari in South Africa.

$4700
October 28, 2025 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Suzanne Warye w/ Casey McGuire Davidson | Seattle
October 28 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT

Suzanne Warye w/ Casey McGuire Davidson | Seattle

Suzanne Warye w/ Casey McGuire Davidson Wellness writer Suzanne Warye discusses The Sober Shift: A Modern-Day Guide to Living an Abundant Sober Life, alongside life and sobriety coach Casey McGuire Davidson.

$28.00
October 28, 2025 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
BigVision Halloween Fright Night
October 28 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm PDT

BigVision Halloween Fright Night

BigVision Halloween Fright Night Get ready for a spooktacular evening at 309 Social Club! Join us for Halloween Fright Night, a special movie night guaranteed to bring the chills and

$15.00
October 31, 2025 7:30 am - 9:30 am
Sober October Herbal Mocktail Class
October 31 @ 7:30 am - 9:30 am PDT

Sober October Herbal Mocktail Class

Sober October Herbal Mocktail Class Sober October Herbal Mocktail Class

$72.00
October 31, 2025 6:00 pm
Gay & Sober Presents: HALLOQUEEN DANCE PARTY | MUSIC BY DJ E.N.
October 31 @ 6:00 pm PDT

Gay & Sober Presents: HALLOQUEEN DANCE PARTY | MUSIC BY DJ E.N.

Gay & Sober Presents: HALLOQUEEN DANCE PARTY | MUSIC BY DJ E.N. TICKETS:  OCTOBER: $30 DAY OF/AT THE DOOR: $40  ​ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31ST, 2025 Mark your calendars for a night

See website
October 31, 2025 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Soberoke Costume Party at Couve Collective Downtown Vancouver Recovery Cafe
October 31 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm PDT

Soberoke Costume Party at Couve Collective Downtown Vancouver Recovery Cafe

Soberoke Costume Party at Couve Collective Downtown Vancouver Recovery Cafe Get ready to rock your favorite costume and sing your heart out at our Soberoke Costume Party - a night

Free
November 1, 2025 7:00 am - 1:00 pm
Sober AF Entertainment: Army Black Knights vs. Air Force Falcons @ Falcon Stadium (Air Force Academy – CO)
November 1 @ 7:00 am - 1:00 pm PDT

Sober AF Entertainment: Army Black Knights vs. Air Force Falcons @ Falcon Stadium (Air Force Academy – CO)

Sober AF Entertainment: Army Black Knights vs. Air Force Falcons @ Falcon Stadium (Air Force Academy – CO)

See website
View Calendar
Thirty for Wonder by Anne Marie Cribbin
The Sober Curator
Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok YouTube Pinterest
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • LINKS DISCLAIMER
  • EDITORIAL GUIDELINES
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • REFUND POLICY
  • DON’T SELL MY INFO
  • DATA SUBJECT REQUEST FORM
  • CONTACT US
© 2025 The Sober Curator - Benefits of a Alcohol Free Lifestyle

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.