Steve Silberman is an acclaimed American science writer known for his insightful work on autism and neurodiversity. His groundbreaking work NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity (2015) helped reshape the understanding of autism. The book won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction and the California Book Award in 2015.
Steve Silberman began his writing career after studying psychology at Oberlin College and earning a master's degree in English literature at the University of California, Berkeley. His early work as a journalist appeared in various publications, including Wired, where he contributed for many years.
His notable article, The Geek Syndrome, published in 2001, explored the rising rates of autism diagnosis, particularly in Silicon Valley, and laid the groundwork for NeuroTribes.
Reflecting on the genesis of the article, Silberman once said, "I got a chill...because I'm a reporter, I got a desire to do some reporting," after noticing a pattern in interviews in which parents disclosed their children's autism diagnoses.
Despite initial reluctance to expand the article into a book, encouragement from close friends, including renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks, pushed Silberman to delve deeper. NeuroTribes, published after nearly eight years of research, explores the history of autism, the contributions of early researchers such as Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner, and the development of the neurodiversity movement. The book highlights how autistic people have been misunderstood in the past and emphasises that they are not 'broken' but rather represent different ways of thinking. It was named one of the best books of 2015 by The New York Times, The Economist and many others.
In addition to his work on autism, Silberman has won awards for his science journalism. His article The Placebo Problem won the 2010 Science Journalism Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His writing has also been featured in anthologies such as The Best American Science Writing of the Year.
Outside of writing, Silberman has contributed to music history, co-producing the Grateful Dead box set So Many Roads (1965–1995) and writing liner notes for artists such as Crosby, Stills and Nash.
At the time of his death, Mr Silberman was working on a book about breakthroughs in the treatment of cystic fibrosis, which is planned to be published in 2026 under the title "The Taste of Salt". It was inspired by a friend who had been diagnosed with the disease as a child. She had been close to death many times but was now much healthier.
Photo credit: www.stevesilberman.com
