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Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

Instant #1 New York Times bestseller! • #1 Washington Post bestseller! • #1 Indie Bestseller! • USA Today Bestseller!
John Green, acclaimed author and passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Signed edition
“The real magic of Green’s writing is the deeply considerate, human touch that goes into every word.” –The Associated Press
″Told with the intelligence, wit, and tragedy that have become hallmarks of the author’s work.... This is the story of us.” –Slate
“Earnest and empathetic.” –The New York Times
Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.
In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John became fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequities that allow this curable, preventable infectious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year.
In Everything Is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world—and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.
John Green, acclaimed author and passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Signed edition
“The real magic of Green’s writing is the deeply considerate, human touch that goes into every word.” –The Associated Press
″Told with the intelligence, wit, and tragedy that have become hallmarks of the author’s work.... This is the story of us.” –Slate
“Earnest and empathetic.” –The New York Times
Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.
In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John became fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequities that allow this curable, preventable infectious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year.
In Everything Is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world—and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.
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Community Reviews
a nice entry level narrative into tuberculosis and more generally, social determinants of health. would recommend to non-ph friends for sure.
As a teenager I read the Fault In Our Stars and Papertowns and now as an adult I’m still enjoying this author and I admire his shift in genre!
Very informative, thought-provoking, and eye opening! Incredible way to use your megaphone! ;)
(Little Disclaimer: I don’t agree with some of the progressive politics though, but whatever, we all have opinions).
“Virtuous Cycles”
“Here's the truth as I see it:Vicious cycles are common. Injustice and unfairness permeate every aspect of human life. But virtuous cycles are also possible”. I believe this quote sums up the theme of Everything Is Tuberculosis. Green presents most of the topic following a young man, Henry, he met in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is a poor country that sees many cases of TB. Henry and his sister were both diagnosed meaning their mom, the only source of income had to work even harder because the entire medical system is so broken. The system being big Pharma and greed. Henry is one story among millions struggling each year with tuberculosis, but as Green shows it doesn’t have to be this way. Greed is antithetical to life on earth.
Quick easy read. I like how John Green connects dots to tell a story that educates his readers.
Wonderful insight into the social determinants of health that shape the spread of communicable diseases. John Green blends history, scientific knowledge, and personal accounts to create a truly impactful story.
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