Everything Is Tuberculosis

John Green is an exceptional writer. It's obvious when you read one of his books, or follow any of his online activities. There's a quality about him that I don't think a lot of people share in quite the same way, let alone express it in such a beautiful way: His love for humanity.

I don't mean that in a prosaic, roundabout way. No, John Green loves not just people, but truly humanity itself. The things that make us human, the imperfections, the capabilities and everything in between.

Everything he writes is seemingly guided by this fondness. Unsurprisingly it isn't any different with this book either.

On the surface this book tells the story about tuberculosis, the worlds deadliest infectious disease and how it has affected humans throughout history and, surprisingly, the current day. But in reality, it tells a story about humanity.

It does so by picking out a variety of people who at one point in time were diagnosed with TB, some of whom John has a personal connection to, some of whom are historical figures, and telling their story. Presenting how it was and how it still is to get diagnosed with, battle and eventually succumb to TB, a fate that over a million people still share every year.

In a surprise to absolutely no-one, the answer as to why so many people are still dying every year of a disease that's curable is corporate greed and racism.

But I'm not the right person to tell you all about that, John Green is.

So go and read his book. It's well worth your time.