Everything is Tuberculosis

by John Green

Considering tuberculosis is probably my favorite disease, if one can reasonably claim a favorite malady, I picked up Everything Is Tuberculosis with a fair amount of enthusiasm and was pleased to find it lived up to my expectations. John Green, better known to me as a fiction writer, explains the disease in a clear, plainspoken way that makes complex medical and social issues easy to understand while weaving in the long and fascinating history of tuberculosis. What elevates the book beyond a straightforward science or history text is Henry, Green's touchstone in Africa, whose story gives the disease a human face and reminds readers that tuberculosis is not just a historical curiosity but a present-day reality affecting real people. I found myself genuinely invested in Henry's journey and rooting for him throughout the book. Informative, compassionate, and highly readable, this was an enjoyable and thought-provoking look at a disease that has shaped human history far more than most of us realize.