Everything Is TuberculosisEverything Is Tuberculosis
What it's about
Tuberculosis killed more people than any other infectious disease in history, and it still kills over a million people a year, even though it's curable. Author John Green tells its story, from the romanticized consumption of Romantic poets to the sanatoriums of the twentieth century, through the life of Henry Reider, a young patient he met in Sierra Leone, and asks why a curable disease still kills so many.
Why it's worth reading
It's short, compassionate and surprisingly gripping, and it makes the history of a disease feel personal and urgent. It won the Goodreads Choice Award for nonfiction and has been a long-running bestseller.
You'll love it if you liked
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
When Breath Becomes Air
Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter WorldGood to know
It's under 200 pages and very readable. It argues for changing global health policy, so it has a clear point of view.
By the numbers
- Readers84 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller76 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz72 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #13 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #22 of the 198 history books we rank
- #23 of the 481 new books we rank
- #128 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by John Green
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered Planet
The Fault in Our Stars
Turtles All the Way Down
Looking for AlaskaIf you like this, read next
Nuclear War: A Scenario
Poverty, by America
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
The Lord of the Rings
A Brief History of TimeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Everything Is Tuberculosis worth reading?
Yes. It's short, compassionate and surprisingly gripping, and it makes the history of a disease feel personal and urgent. It ranks #128 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 85.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Everything Is Tuberculosis about?
Tuberculosis killed more people than any other infectious disease in history, and it still kills over a million people a year, even though it's curable. Author John Green tells its story, from the romanticized consumption of Romantic poets to the sanatoriums of the twentieth century, through the life of Henry Reider, a young patient he met in Sierra Leone, and asks why a curable disease still kills so many.
How long does it take to read Everything Is Tuberculosis?
About 5 hours (198 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Everything Is Tuberculosis won?
Goodreads Choice (nonfiction) winner (2025).
What should I read after Everything Is Tuberculosis?
If you liked it, try The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi or Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter World by John Vaillant.