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| View Larger Image | The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race In America
by Shelby Steele
| | List Price: | $12.95 | | Price: | $10.36 | | You Save: | $2.59 (20%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 88555 | | Studio: | Harper Perennial | | | Binding: | Paperback | | Number Of Pages: | 192 | | Publication Date: | September 01, 1991 | | Publisher: | Harper Perennial |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
In this controversial essay collection, award-winning writer Shelby Stelle illuminates the origins of the current conflict in race relations--the increase in anger, mistrust, and even violence between black and whites. With candor and persuasive argument, he shows us how both black and white Americans have become trapped into seeing color before character, and how social policies designed to lessen racial inequities have instead increased them. The Content of Our Character is neither "liberal" nor "conservative," but an honest, courageous look at America's most enduring and wrenching social dilemma. |
Amazon.com
From the sight-lines of the university setting, Shelby Steele gives an account of race that is nothing if not controversial. Steele's nine essays derive their messages from personal experience dosed with broader social psychology. The value of this book, which won a 1990 National Book Critics Circle Award, lies in its introspection, rather than its distant calculation. Steele weeds the individual out of the group and argues for personal responsibility. He offers a unique look at the African-American experience and points a questioning finger at the children of affirmative action. The knee-jerk identification he observes "presupposes a deep racist reflex in American life that will forever try to limit black possibility." |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 26 reviews)
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Should be required reading on race in America 
The book is illuminating, especially on the the psychological problem of perceived inferiority (by the minority race when obliged to work and live within a social system dominated by the majority race), something I hadn't considered before. Steele comes to grips with this, and I can definitely feel how the reasoning lifts the souls of those facing such issues. But there's so much more, discussion of several terms and concepts that convey key ideas that mostly help to move the philosophical and psychological liberation along: "moral power," " racial power," "race holding," "struggle for innocence," "bargainer's strategy," margin of choice," "racial vulnerability," "compensatory grandiosity," "politics of difference," "memory of oppression," etc.
For my complete review of this book and for other book and movie
reviews, please visit my site [...]
Brian Wright
Copyright 2008
August 14, 2008 | |
Good but a touch repetitive 
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very insightful especially being a black guy recently settled in the US. The US racial politics is so complicated due to its history and this book goes some way to explaining some of the issues involved. My one minor complaint is that it was a touch repetitive, which is somewhat understandable because it is a collection of essays as stated in the introduction. Nevertheless, it did sometimes get irritating. Recommended reading however
May 13, 2008 | |
Crystal-clear insight ...
This book helped me to understand myself as few books written by human authors have. But its insights also throw light on major developments within 'western' society.
April 23, 2008 | |
Emerging and intelligent race relations
Finally, we are making intelligent decisions about race relations and civil rights and moving away from the problems created by white guilt and "black power" agendas during the early civil rights movement. The author is very intelligent and makes valid observations and written commentary on where we have been and on a pathway to a society that makes more sense than ever before. Jim Moore
June 26, 2006 | |
The Truth unmasked
In a nutshell, this is one of many books written on this subject matter. It is a very good book, Mr Steele ocaisionally glosses over a bit of the subject matter. There is a need for much more of self examination, and this will allow us to define ourselves as Americans far better than those that have decided to race bait and perform the victim routine that seems to be so popular amongst many people of color. A couple of very wealthy black men have created a growth industry from it. We need the self examination that this book touches on, not the self hatred that some vocal minority within this minority are preaching.
February 28, 2006 | |
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