When you think of tuberculosis (TB), historical images might come to mind. Perhaps you remember it in instances of pop culture, such as in the musical “Moulin Rouge”. Why is the topic of TB even still relevant? Well, it has a bigger impact than one might think. John Green’s “Everything is Tuberculosis” is one of the most important books you will ever read.

In 2024, TB was the world’s deadliest transmissible disease. Yes, it overtook COVID-19 as the deadliest transmissible disease in 2023, and it remains at the number one spot. Yet, that fact is not widely known. John Green’s “Everything is Tuberculosis” is a tour de force in education about TB. 

Although the book was on the shorter side, it packed a punch by somehow managing to pull at your heartstrings, deepen your understanding of human history, and fuel you to enact change. This book has an even bigger impact considering the anti-vaccine rhetoric and health misinformation that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been spreading, further stirring mistrust in the medical systems put in place to protect us from diseases like TB.  

Green tells the story of human history through the lens of TB. The book dives into the race to understand how it is transmitted, cured, and to develop a vaccine, but also into the socioeconomic factors that keep TB alive and well even in the present day. It is shocking how many pieces of artistic expression, scientific discoveries, trends, and so much more can be traced back, in some way, to the presence of TB. 

The biggest takeaway from “Everything is Tuberculosis” is the intersection of colonialism and public health. This intersection has been widely regarded as a problem of the past. However, the impact of colonialism in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa, is still perpetuating the spread and deadliness of TB. 

Green focuses on the story of Henry Reider, a boy he met in Sierra Leone, who has spent most of his life going through TB treatment. Through Henry’s story, the reader learns about how TB affects the body and how a lack of funding and trust in the medical system contribute to the significant problem of antibiotic-resistant TB. 

There is also commentary on the romanticization of TB. It has often been referred to as “consumption” or “the romantic disease,” implying that poets, artists, writers, scientists, and any other “genius” who was deeply invested in their work would not only be the demographic that would get TB in higher amounts, but also that having TB would make that person’s work better. 

The connection between disease and beauty standards was also created. The trendy “waif” look that can be found in models, actors, and other public figures is closely connected to TB and how TB impacts weight loss and fatigue for a person with the disease.  

With “Everything is Tuberculosis,” Green establishes that TB is so much more than a disease. It is tied to everything in our daily lives, either directly or indirectly. Considering its global impact on human history, readers should drop everything and read “Everything is Tuberculosis.”