From the announcement on the web page for the Samuel Johnson Prize:
Steve Silberman has tonight been named the winner of the 2015 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction for his book Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently, published by Allen and Unwin.
Neurotribes chronicles the unique history of societal attitudes and responses to a developmental condition that affects millions of people across the globe. From the clinicians who discovered it, to the MMR vaccine controversy and today’s ‘neurodiversity’ movement, Silberman charts the journey of this complex disorder and seeks to answer the baffling question of why there has been a massive rise in diagnoses.
I will not copy the full announcement, but here’s a taste:
In the end, though, we admired Silberman’s work because it is powered by a strongly argued set of beliefs: That we should stop drawing sharp lines between what we assume to be “normal” and “abnormal,” and that we should remember how much the differently-wired human brain has, can and will contribute to our world. He has injected a hopeful note into a conversation that’s normally dominated by despair.
Congrats, Steve. You earned this.
—
By Matt Carey.
Left Brain Right Brain 
Matt, thank you for your blog and thanks a million for sharing this. This great news, like the book it represents, introduces “a hopeful note into a conversation that’s normally dominated by despair” (quotation from the announcement). As the mother of an adult with moderate to severe autism, I am so grateful to Steve Silverman for his work towards changing this conversation.
Aletta,
you may be pleased to hear that his book is being translated into (I believe) 8 languages. It will change the conversation world wide. While the message of despair is strong here in the U.S., it is even more so elsewhere.
That’s incredible news. Thanks for beiing on top of what matters.
I was glad to see Steve Silberman’s triumph mentioned here, since I didn’t notice any appropriately congratulatory messages at Age of Autism, SafeMinds, or the like.
There was a nice write-up in The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/02/hopeful-study-of-autism-wins-samuel-johnson-prize-2015?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2 Congratulations Mr. Silberman.
And here’s Steve’s comment on his acceptance speech.
So much thanks Steve for your vision and generous heart.
Congratulations to Mr. Silberman for this honor.
Another Guardian article on Steve Silberman: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/03/steve-silberman-neurotribes-autism-samuel-johnson-prize-2015-interview?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
Congratulations to Mr Silberman, with gracious thanks as well!