Exploring John Green’s New Nonfiction Work: *Everything Is Tuberculosis*

On March 28, 2025, acclaimed author John Green released his latest nonfiction book, *Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection*. This thought-provoking work centers around the life of Henry Ryder, a 17-year-old patient battling tuberculosis—an encounter Green first experienced during his journeys in Sierra Leone in 2019.

Shedding Light on a Global Health Crisis

Green’s new narrative seeks to illuminate the harsh realities surrounding tuberculosis, describing it as the “deadliest infection”globally. Despite being a curable disease, tuberculosis continues to claim approximately 1.5 million lives annually. In the introduction, Green expresses concern over the ongoing healthcare inequities that perpetuate this lethal condition, emphasizing the urgent need for awareness and action.

“When a person breathes in TB germs, the germs can settle in the lungs and begin to grow. From there, they can move through the blood to other parts of the body, such as the kidney, spine, and brain,”the website adds.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that tuberculosis is not transmitted through casual contact like handshakes or sharing personal items. Individuals who inhale the TB bacteria may develop latent TB infections, which do not spread to others, underscoring the complexities of this disease.

Insights from John Green: The Motivation Behind the Book

In a recent interview with the *New York Times* on March 27, 2025, Green elaborated on his reasons for transitioning from fictional storytelling to addressing a real-world health crisis through nonfiction. Central to the book’s narrative is Henry Ryder, a teenager grappling with drug-resistant tuberculosis. Green noted that this personal connection was pivotal in motivating him to share Ryder’s story.

“Ultimately, I wrote the book because I met one human individual named Henry Ryder, who was living with drug-resistant TB. And Henry wanted me to share his story. So this is me sharing it,”he said.

“In some ways, it’s a departure, obviously — I’m writing nonfiction about tuberculosis instead of writing books for teenagers. But in other ways, I mean, the character at the center of the book is a teenager who loves poetry, which has always been my jam.”

During the interview, Green expressed his astonishment at the persistence of tuberculosis, recognizing it as a leading cause of death despite its treatability. He cited that the United States reported approximately 10,000 active tuberculosis cases in 2025, a trend attributed to inadequately funded public health systems.

The Universal Impact of Tuberculosis

Highlighting the misconception that tuberculosis primarily affects marginalized populations, Green emphasized that anyone can contract this disease, challenging the stigma associated with it.

When reflecting on society’s complacency towards tuberculosis, Green noted a troubling pattern where certain lives are deemed less important. He stated that unlike diseases that present acute outbreaks, TB’s insidious nature often leads to delayed responses.

“I also think there’s something about the way that tuberculosis works. Maybe it’s that it’s slow-moving. Maybe it’s that it doesn’t attack a community the way a cholera outbreak or other diseases would. I do think that a big part of it is that we just don’t do a good job of including people who live at the margins, and that allows tuberculosis to thrive in the places where human systems fail.”

John Green, renowned for his young adult fiction such as *Turtles All The Way Down* and *The Fault in Our Stars*, continues to make significant contributions to literature and public health discourse. Alongside his brother Hank Green, he engages audiences through their popular YouTube channel, Vlogbrothers.

For more insights and details on tuberculosis and its ramifications, visit the full article on Sportskeeda.