Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

What is the unseen and widespread impact of tuberculosis throughout history and how does it stand today?

Author John Green explores the history of the wasting disease alongside his personal experiences with Henry Reider, a young man from Sierra Leone with TB. Also known as consumption or phthisis, tuberculosis is a pulmonary disease that destroys lung tissue, causes loss of appetite, and leads to the infected wasting away unable to breathe. It is a disease present throughout all of human history that is interpreted and understood in a variety of ways across countries and cultures. It has been interpreted and blamed on everything from demons and moral failings, to racial superiority and familial lineage. From its influence on fashion and art, to the founding of cities like Pasadena, Green discusses the surprising ways TB influences our modern life. All the while, he dives into the injustices and wrongful ways that we as a species continue to allow this disease to spread and kill over a million people each year, including systemic racism, lack of healthcare and basic needs, and the prohibitive cost of drugs made by pharmaceutical companies.

I’m a fan of John Green (and his brother Hank) for his views on the world and writing style, having first heard his work in The Anthropocene Reviewed podcast. The book is a smooth read full of interesting facts and well-presented data, and is interspersed with his personal account of following Henry’s treatment over the years. Green’s personal connection to Henry provides the foundation for the book that interweaves grounded narrative and human experience with data and facts that can otherwise feel intangible given the geographical and historical distance. The book left me to grapple and wonder at the experience of the disease—to appreciate the breathes that I can take in the wake of everyday struggles. It brought to light the continuing impacts of colonialism on modern living conditions around the world, and gave me a peak into a region of the world I don’t know much about. It brought to light the impact of cost-effectiveness analysis and the gaps that it leaves with both vicious and virtuous cycles. As Green puts it, “We live in between what we choose and what is chosen for us.” What do I choose for myself and others around me?