Everything Is Tuberculosis

John Green weaves the story of Henry Reider into the tale of how tuberculosis has shaped and been shaped by history.

Green is a fine fiction writer, and the clear and factual way in which he makes his case in “Everything Is Tuberculosis” shows he has a deft hand with non-fiction too. Even when turning the emotional screws, he steers clear of sentimentality. It is an interesting read, though I learnt somewhat less than expected due to my pre-existing interest in tuberculosis.

Even presuming the numbers and facts laid before the reader are wildly exaggerated, I see no real argument against Green’s plea. In fact, I agree wholeheartedly with it. We should be doing all we can to cure tuberculosis.

I’ll even go a step further. I truly believe we should be doing all we can to cure disease and alleviate suffering where we can. Fuck cost-effectiveness. We are people, and Green is right about us being here to love and be loved. Our human existence should be enough. It is enough.

Anyone who listened to John Green at all in the past years knows a bit about tuberculosis. Because since he realised that it is everywhere in human history and present, he cannot shut up about it. Now he has beautifully summarised this story in this book. Many of us don't know that tuberculosis is not only currently the deadliest disease on our planet, but italso has been for basically all of human history. We (living in 1st world countries) have just forgotten about it because it stopped being a threat to us ca. 60 to 70 years ago, while poor people keep dying all over the world. John Green managed to make this book a historical as well as medical introduction to the disease, the story of a boy names Henry from Sierra Leone, and a story of inequity and poverty, but also hope and the power of human kindness.