We read 'Everything Is Tuberculosis' by John Green (so you don’t have to)

We read Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green so you don’t have to
…but if you’ve ever wondered how a curable disease can still kill more people each year than any other infection — and why the world lets it happen — this episode might change the way you think about global health, justice, and human dignity.

In this episode, we unpack John Green’s sweeping exploration of tuberculosis: a disease shaped not only by bacteria, but by poverty, stigma, colonial history, and systemic inequality. Through the story of Henry — a young patient in Sierra Leone — Green reveals how TB is as much a social failure as a medical one. This book blends history, narrative nonfiction, scientific insight, and moral urgency into one unforgettable argument: TB persists because we allow it to.

👉 Hardcover: https://amzn.to/4nZHE08
👉 Audiobook: https://amzn.to/48hyJSV
👉 Paperback: https://amzn.to/43BMnOe

What we cover in this episode:
The human story at the center
Henry’s diagnosis, struggle, and courage
Why individual stories reveal the deeper truth about global inequality
How TB disproportionately targets the poor, the crowded, and the forgotten
A disease with a long, strange history
TB as the “fluttering disease” once romanticized in Europe
How it shifted from a symbol of genius to a marker of deprivation
What TB’s past reveals about stigma and social narratives
Why TB still kills today
Structural injustice: weak health systems, late diagnoses, and lack of resources
Underfunding and global neglect despite millions of preventable deaths
The cruel geography of illness: where you live determines whether you survive
The threat of antibiotic resistance
MDR- and XDR-TB as a growing global emergency
How misuse, poverty, and unstable treatment cycles accelerate resistance
Why this isn’t just a medical problem — it’s a political one

The book’s moral argument:
Why eliminating TB requires changing systems, not just medicine
The call to action: solidarity, investment, and imagination
What a TB-free world would demand from us

This episode is for you if:
You’re interested in global health, medical history, or social justice
You want to understand why TB still devastates millions despite being curable
You’re drawn to powerful narrative nonfiction with real-world stakes
You care about health equity and structural inequality
You want a deeper perspective on how diseases shape — and reveal — society
You appreciate John Green’s blend of storytelling, compassion, and analysis

Links & Resources:

📘 Buy Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green:
👉 Hardcover: https://amzn.to/4nZHE08
👉 Audiobook: https://amzn.to/48hyJSV
👉 Paperback: https://amzn.to/43BMnOe

If you enjoy these “we read the book so you don’t have to” breakdowns, hit subscribe, drop a comment, and let us know which book you want next.