Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
Using his platform, this bestselling writer highlights the plight of tuberculosis: a curable disease that is still responsible for more than a million annual deaths.
Welcome to the SciFri Book Club page about John Green’s Everything Is Tuberculosis. There’s lots of ways to participate: Get the book, join our community space, attend an event, read an excerpt, sign up for our email newsletter, or send us a message via our contact page.
This May, the SciFri Book Club will read Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green. Tuberculosis has been infecting and killing humans for ages, and after gaining infamy as a poets’ disease, TB now follows the road of injustice and inequality we’ve created. John Green befriended Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Laka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone, and, since that first visit, has become a passionate advocate for improved treatment access and awareness of the healthcare imbalances that make TB—a curable, treatable infectious disease—the deadliest to this day. In Everything Is Tuberculosis, Green weaves Henry’s story into the scientific and social histories of tuberculosis, and how our choices will define its destiny.
Everything Is Tuberculosis brings together a range of topics, including microbiology, medical science, epidemiology, history and culture, global and public health, and more—and we’ll touch on these ideas throughout this Book Club season. You can get your copy from your local bookstore or on Bookshop.org.
This Book Club season kicks off Thursday, May 1, and you can read along with us! We’ll be (loosely) following this schedule, but all our readers are welcome to join us at their own pace:
- May 1-4: Chapters 1-3
- May 5-11: Chapters 4-7
- May 12-18: Chapters 8-13
- May 19-25: Chapters 14-23
- May 26-31: Final Thoughts
Plus, we’ll be hosting events throughout the month! Keep an eye out on our website or join our Events newsletter to be the first to know.
There are so many ways to dive in and participate! You can grab a copy of the book (and support the author and SciFri), join the discussion in our online Book Club community, sign up for our email newsletter, or RSVP for our upcoming Book Club events. Check out all the details below.
Grab Your Own Copy
If you’d like to purchase a physical copy, we encourage you to start local! Check out the SciFri Book Club partner bookstores and libraries—if you’re in the area, consider supporting your local bookseller or public library (plus, mention our Book Club for a percentage off your purchase at participating shops!).
Want more ways to read? This book is available in a few formats via online retailers, your local library, or elsewhere:
Your local library may not currently have Everything Is Tuberculosis in its catalog, but many branches offer ways for patrons like you to submit book suggestions to librarians. Look for ways to suggest new titles via the Libby or OverDrive app, a form submission on your library’s website, or a suggestion box at your local branch!
Save The Date(s): SciFri Book Club Events
Everything Is Tuberculosis: Livestream and Q&A with John Green
Tuberculosis has plagued humanity for thousands of years, and now primarily follows the road of poverty and inequality. Best-selling author John Green discusses his new book, Everything is Tuberculosis, which weaves together a TB patient’s story with comprehensive insights into how the disease shapes our world.
Join us online for a livestream all about the science topics featured in the SciFri Book Club pick for May 2025. Come with your queries and wonderings—we’ll be taking your questions in the livestream comments!
SciFri Book Club May community meeting
Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book selection, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meeting is the place for you!
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in Everything Is Tuberculosis. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about microbiology, medical science, epidemiology, history and culture, global and public health, and more.
Join Our Community Space
And as you start reading, join us on our online community space: the SciFri Book Club is on Mighty Networks, a platform where we can gather, read and discuss science books together. We’ve built this community space to create a better way for readers to stay connected with other Book Clubbers, and we hope you’ll join us there!
Read An Excerpt
Not sure this is the book for you? Want to read an excerpt before you commit? We’ve got you covered.
Crash Course Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House and the publisher of Everything Is Tuberculosis, has offered SciFri Book Clubbers an excerpt of the book! You can read this sample on our website.
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Subscribe to SciFri Book Club emails to stay updated on our monthly read sand join us for community discussions. We’ll send emails a few times per week.