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Quick question for you, dear reader. Do you know why so often a character coughing into a rag is ominous especially when there ends up being blood? (Think Doc Holliday in Tombstone) That is because the character has tuberculosis and the end is near. Yes, it is a cliche. And it is a cliche because tuberculosis is the deadliest infection in human history and is still killing people to this day. Yes, we do have a cure. Yes, it is still killing people. This is what John Green wants to talk to us about in his book, Everything is Tuberculosis.

Green is ultimately trying to start a conversation with this book. It is not long (less than 200 pages) and there are many ideas and facts highlighted but not beaten into the ground. Mainly, Green tells the story of Henry, a young man he met in Sierra Leone who is battling tuberculosis. His outlook is murky because the care he needs is not readily available. Through his story, Green is able to illuminate the reader on the shame, isolation, and hopelessness that often follows a TB diagnosis in areas without adequate healthcare.

I had a long talk about the book with Lady History Nerd (trademark pending). We went back and forth about what do we do with the information that is in the book. Do we donate to a TB charity? Do we write a congressman? Picket a pharma company? We realized (after a long talk because we are both stubborn, but she gave the vast majority of dismissive looks) that Green wasn't trying to answer any of those questions. He just wanted us to ask them. We have to take it from there.

I think this book will be most effective for people who don't realize the destructive power of TB throughout the years. History nerds will recognize the awful disease and already know how terrible it has been to humans for thousands of years (yes, thousands). But no matter what, everyone will have a lot to think about by the time they put this one down.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Crash Course Books.)