Rating: ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️/5 stars

Genre: Personal Narrative / Non-fiction / Public Health

As a public health professional, I’ll be the first to admit that not every public health topic can be written about in a way that grabs the general public’s attention. Tuberculosis is one of those diseases that may feel irrelevant if you live in the United States. For most healthcare workers, it’s associated with the yearly skin test and the occasional patient in urban areas.

When I studied global health epidemiology, though, I realized just how widespread TB still is, and how comorbidities can push latent tuberculosis into active disease.

That’s why I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green. The book was full of fascinating facts and personal anecdotes from people who have lived with TB. It wasn’t dry or filled with technical jargon. It was informative, but raw and witty.

I never expected it to be such a conversation starter with my mom, but the historical and literary references throughout the book make it easy to keep saying, “Did you know…?” It turned what I thought was a niche, technical topic into something engaging and memorable.

This 200 page book is packed with stories, personal experiences from John, and surprising “fun facts” about how deeply TB is woven into our society. One of my favorite examples was learning that the Adirondack chair was originally created for sanatorium patients so they could sit outside and get fresh air without needing to be wheeled out in a hospital bed.

I will say I am a massive fan of John and Hank Green, I love their podcast, in which Hank frequently says “I bet you can’t or (or can) relate that back to tuberculosis” and John almost always manages to do so. They have such good banter and John is truly very knowledgeable about the rabbit holes he goes down.

I think there’s a clear distinction between books that are personal favorites and books that hold true societal value, books that everyone should read. Everything is Tuberculosis falls into the latter category. It not only offers fascinating insights into the overlooked role TB has played in our society, but also provides a strong foundation for understanding the global landscape of infectious disease.

Many of the treatment challenges highlighted in the book are just as relevant to other diseases in low and middle income countries (LMICs). These nations continue to bear a disproportionate burden of infectious diseases, and the effects often exacerbate inequities, further marginalizing already vulnerable communities.

Pick up this book if you like John Green’s writing, if you like linking history with one thread, or public health and infectious diseases. It’s a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.