Why people recommend it
American Pain by John Temple is a true crime account detailing the massive rise and fall of twin brothers who operated notorious pill mills in Florida during the prescription opioid epidemic. Mariana van Zeller discussed the subject matter on The Joe Rogan Experience during an episode released on October 17, 2025. Discussing her investigative journalism background and related criminal enterprises, van Zeller described how her husband produced a documentary examining the brothers' operations. She explained that the siblings initially profited from selling steroids before an associate pointed out the vastly greater financial potential of selling oxycodone. Referencing the title of the work, van Zeller noted how the documentary and the book American Pain capture the shocking scale of the opioid crisis, the corruption of medical practitioners, and the devastating societal consequences driven by profit-seeking criminal networks operating within the legal pharmaceutical framework.
Who recommended it
- Mariana van Zeller Recommended
Mariana van Zeller — 1 mention
“So my husband did a documentary about it about the rise and fall of these twin brothers. They started by selling stero steroids and then somebody told him like dude why are you doing what are you doing selling selling steroids or you could make making so much more money selling oxy. It's called American Pain. You should watch it.”