Everything Is Tuberculosis

As John Green makes clear throughout Everything is Tuberculosis, science and social injustice do not exist in isolation from each other. Instead, the two are deeply intertwined, with social inequity limiting the ability of science and medicine to help marginalized individuals. Firstly, this arises due to financial inequities that fuel poverty. In a country like Sierra Leone, whose economic and social infrastructures were gutted by colonialism, medical treatment is less advanced and personalized than…

Everything is Tuberculosis makes clear that history, no matter how distant it may seem from modernity, is not a simple relic of the past. Rather, it is a force that continues and will continue to impact humanity at large. For instance, colonization, the transatlantic slave trade, and a violent civil war all continue to affect Sierra Leone’s economy, public infrastructure, and geography. What’s more, history affects citizens on a personal level, as is the case…

While understandings of tuberculosis have shifted over the centuries, one thing that has been consistent is the stigma around the disease—a stigma that Green examines carefully in Everything is Tuberculosis. Early in the disease’s history, it was understood to stem from demonic possession or sexual immorality; the former dehumanizes people with the illness, while the latter places blame on them. By the late 18th century, however, too many people suffered from consumption for it…

Throughout the book, Green exhibits how greatly tuberculosis has influenced culture, geography, and society. The creation of the cowboy hat, the formation of New Mexico, and World War I can all be traced back to the influence of tuberculosis. He emphasizes, however, that examining the past through only one event or phenomenon is just as problematic as ignoring tuberculosis entirely. As he writes, “Looking at history through any single lens creates distortion, because history is…