Book Review: Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

“Looking at history through any single lens creates distortions, because history is too complex for any one way of looking to suffice.”

John Green, Everything is Tuberculosis

Review:

I never gave much thought to tuberculosis. Of course, I knew that several historical figures suffered from and/or died from it, and I knew in some parts of the world it was still possible to become ill with it, but growing up in America, I’ve always assumed it was largely an illness of the past. Reading this book was not only informative but also humbling. 

Weaving the story of Henry Reider and his fight against tuberculosis into a broader history of the illness, this book offers a lot of information in a relatively few pages. It’s engaging and uses accessible language for people like me who are not well-versed in medical terminology. Above all, it’s a story of humanity, shedding light on those who often become an afterthought in places where medicine can be taken for granted. 

I enjoyed this book so much more than I anticipated. Not that the topic is a particularly fun one, but it was fascinating to learn how much tuberculosis has influenced the world and modern culture. I also enjoyed reading about Henry’s story. It gave so much heart to the book and allowed me to connect with everything else. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Accessible language.
• To the point and more about the general history and its effect on humanity rather than a scientific look at the disease.

What I didn’t like:

• The subjects jumped around a lot.

Afterthoughts:

This is the June nonfiction group read with The Global Book Nook on Discord and StoryGraph!

Where to buy the book: