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What TB social scientists are saying about John Green’s book: Everything is Tuberculosis
Hanna Lum-Gerry (Canada) – University Student
“As an undergraduate student without extensive prior knowledge of tuberculosis, I found this book was very comprehensible. Informative and intriguing, it balances moments of humor with the sobering reality of tuberculosis. Everything is Tuberculosis takes you around the world to different historical figures and events, including those leading up to today, that all seem to have tuberculosis in common. After witnessing large inequities in TB care himself, John Green frames his narrative around these experiences to produce a desperate wake-up call on the severity of tuberculosis that should be so obvious and yet, still needs to be repeated in 2025.”
Andrew McDowell (USA)
“Everything is Tuberculosis does exactly what it sets out to do. It raises awareness about TB by using TB treatment and policy to reveal how inequalities permeate global health. Its omission of the immense impact that physicians and scientists in high TB incidence countries had on the development of TB science and treatment, however, alarms me. It suggests that social scientists must counter the book’s assumption—that science is created in western countries and exported to others—by documenting scientists, patients, physicians, and technocrats in high TB incidence settings as they produce and contest rather than merely receive TB knowledge.”
Sachin Atre (India)
“This book in simple yet engaging language provides a 360-degree perspective to tuberculosis-a lead infectious disease in the world for nearly the last two centuries. It raises burning questions about cure-why we did not find it and why we allowed over 1 billion people to die and why we chose not to live in the world without TB. It speaks about inequities and injustice that certain societies face. It narrates an inspiring story of Henry Reider, his successful fight with drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and how it can offer hope to people affected with DR-TB. The book is a real eye-opener.”
Nancy Bedingfield (Canada)
“I am a researcher working to improve treatment options for people and communities affected by TB. I read Everything is Tuberculosis thinking I would learn some valuable lessons on how to communicate about TB to people with little or no background. I did indeed learn these important lessons but perhaps more importantly, the book is so well written and so convincing that reading it reminded me of why my work is important. I gained precious motivation, which really helps to keep going on days when the work is hard and ‘wins’ seem far away.”
Jonathan Stillo (USA)
“John Green’s Everything is Tuberculosis is a lot of things: impeccably researched, bursting with fascinating historical facts about TB, but most of all stressing that there is nothing natural about 1.3 million TB deaths per year —it is a human made problem and it has to have a human made solution. I see Green’s biggest contribution as bringing the unacceptability of TB deaths to a broader audience—and not just offering the false hope of a magic bullet drug or vaccine. Rather he asserts that the root of the problem is injustice and that any solution requires us to address that.”
Pushpita Samina (Bangladesh)
“My friends often tease me by calling me TB apa (“apa” means sister), because I tend to see TB everywhere. I was drawn to the book because its title resonated with me, and it did not disappoint me as the author connects TB to various aspects of history. It was published during a time when we began to see massive cuts to TB funding, so it felt like perfect timing as the book evokes feelings of frustration, disappointment, and hope. Back in Bangladesh, as part of our advocacy communication efforts, we sought out Bangla novels, dramas, and movies that might foster an emotional connection rather than fear, to explain TB in a relatable way. Sadly, in many Bangla stories, heroes with TB often face tragedy. Surprisingly, this book breaks that tradition; it has the happy ending that TB truly deserves and needs, where all people with TB would survive and have access to treatment. I love how this book reaches such a broad audience. It’s a top choice in my local public library, which is in a small suburban town in Canada, where there is a month-long wait to read the book. It was also left as a farewell gift on my colleagues’ desks at the USAID office in Bangladesh, as it shut down after 64 years. Reviews on my local public library website and social media reviews from my former colleagues at USAID reflect how it has touched such a wide variety of people and left a meaningful impression on them. This book resonates with people who are familiar with TB and those who knew nothing about it before reading.”
