What is the author's tone in The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America by Shelby Steele?

Steele's tone is not hostile or harsh. He never minimizes racism or excuses whites for wrongs they have committed. He never expresses himself angrily or engages in extended attributions of blame to the black community in a nasty fashion. While Steele is deeply critical of the black community's psychology, his tone reflects sympathy with the community and a deep disappointment that blacks have allowed their racial vulnerabilities to hold them back socially.