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

May 1, 2026
Book Reviews

Everything Is Tuberculosis

The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

Author: John Green

Student Perspective

As the 2020’s have progressed, there have been increased conversations not just around ways to improve patient-focused care, but also an increased emphasis on the sociological elements that feed into medical outcomes.

John Green’s Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection, does a fantastic job juxtaposing two dialogues at once. On one hand, Green recounts the history of tuberculosis and its far-reaching sociological and cultural impacts. He then powerfully intertwines its complex past with the very recent, raw, and incredible story of Henry, a boy living with tuberculosis in Sierra Leone.

There were many moments during this book that left me speechless, with my mouth wide-open, whether it was due to the introduction of an tuberculosis-related fact or the unbelievable moments of Henry’s experiences captured by Green.

Everything Is Tuberculosis’ widespread success (even among people outside of healthcare) reflects a wider endemic interest in addressing systemic health issues globally. This book is perfect for any reader interested in not only learning about the world’s deadliest disease, but for those who want a powerful introduction into how sociology, colonization, history, and politics can dictate health.

– Anna Geiger, BS in Business Administration and Psychology

Editorial Commentary

This thoughtful and engaging review of Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green captures one of the book’s greatest strengths: the way Green weaves together the long historical arc of tuberculosis with the deeply personal story of Henry in Sierra Leone. That juxtaposition makes the global history of the disease feel immediate and human, reminding readers that tuberculosis is not merely a topic of the past but an ongoing reality for millions of people.

What is particularly compelling is the emphasis on the sociological dimensions of the disease. As Green illustrates, tuberculosis cannot be understood solely as a biological phenomenon. Its persistence is closely tied to poverty, access to care, and the historical forces that shape health systems. The discussion of how sociology, colonization, and politics intersect with disease offers an important perspective for readers who may initially approach the book as a purely medical history.

From a clinical standpoint, the book also resonates in meaningful ways. Physicians frequently encounter conditions that carry stigma imposed by society rather than by the disease itself. In surgical practice, this dynamic appears in areas involving HIV, HPV-related conditions, and other deeply personal aspects of patients’ health. The experiences of tuberculosis patients described in the book reflect similar patterns of social judgment and marginalization, reminding us that medicine is always practiced within a broader social context.

Ultimately, Everything Is Tuberculosis succeeds not only as a history of a devastating infection, but as a reflection on how societies respond to illness. This review encourages readers to engage with the book as a broader exploration of health, inequality, and human resilience.

– Sanghyun Alexander Kim, MD

Student Perspective - Reviewed by Anna Geiger, BS in Business Administration and Psychology

Anna Geiger graduated with a BS in Business Administration and Psychology with a concentration in Healthcare Management and Consulting from Northeastern University. During her time at Northeastern, she worked in Marketing and Communications at Harvard Medical School Executive Education and on the Process Improvement Team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She currently works at the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review as the Senior Communications Coordinator and volunteers as a Cognitive Psychology Research Lead at Northeastern University.

Editorial Commentary - Reviewed by Sanghyun Alexander Kim, MD

Dr. Sanghyun Alexander Kim is a colorectal surgeon at Mount Sinai who immigrated to the United States from Korea at age 17 and completed his education, medical training, residency, and fellowship entirely in New York. He joined the Mount Sinai surgical faculty in 2005 and currently serves as Program Director of the Robotic Colorectal Surgery Fellowship, where he trains surgeons in advanced minimally invasive techniques.

Dr. Kim’s clinical practice focuses on colon and rectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, fecal incontinence, robotic colon and rectal surgery, and painless hemorrhoid treatment. He also has a large clinical practice performing high-resolution anoscopy, a specialized camera-based examination used to detect precancerous lesions and early anal cancer. In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Kim actively teaches medical students, residents, and surgeons, with a strong commitment to early cancer detection and serving diverse and underserved communities throughout New York and New Jersey.

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