The Book Prize Index

The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America

Shelby Steele

An examination of race in America--the causes of the increasing friction between black and white Americans, and the possibiliity of hope for a more harmonious future. The author looks closely at his own life in an integrated society, and, in challenging his own preconceptions about race, causes us to rethink our own.

Race & EthnicityRace & Ethnicity · high confidenceRace & Ethnicity81 signalsLlm Classifier: Race & Ethnicity -> Race & EthnicityOpen Library: Race relations -> Race & EthnicityOpen Library: African Americans -> Race & EthnicityBlack History & CultureAfrica & the African DiasporaCivil Rights & Racial Justice

Award History

1 wins · 2 total

AwardYearResultCategory / Notes
National Book Critics Circle Award for NonfictionMajor1990WinnerSecondary source
Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current InterestMajor1991FinalistSecondary source
View all award history (2)
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies

This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.

  1. 01 Central figures

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  2. 02 Central places

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  3. 03 Suggested argument

    The growing friction between black and white Americans has causes, and by challenging one’s own preconceptions about race, a more harmonious future becomes possible.

    Model confidence 62%

  4. 04 Reading orientation

    36 / 100 academic

    Serious trade

    An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.

Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 34%.