[3] Reinert's research interests and publications - starting with his PhD thesis in 1980[4] - focus around the theory of uneven development and the history of economic thought and policy.

While some reviews, like those in Prospect Magazine,[7] and The Economist,[8] and others were dismissive[7][9][10] many – including those from the developing countries – were positive[11][12] and even those in publications generally opposed to Reinert's framework, such as Martin Wolf in the Financial Times,[13] have called the book an important contribution to the debate.

[15] [16] The main message of the book is that neo-classical economics damage developing countries, mostly via adherence to the theory of comparative advantage of David Ricardo, an English economist of the 19th century.

Citing Friedrich List, a 19th-century German economist, Erik Reinert suggest that protectionism is thus important and that free trade is only mutually beneficial among countries of the same level of development.

[17] In 2008, Reinert received the annual Gunnar Myrdal Prize as best monograph in evolutionary political economy,[18] and in 2010 he was the only Norwegian economist invited to the Cambridge opening conference of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, financed by George Soros.

[28] Fairness over time in a social perspective, Talk by Erik S. Reinert at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EU) as part of the STS “Contro Corrente” series of seminars, 31 August 2016.

Talk on the occasion of the celebration of the 70th birthday of Erik Reinert at University College London, Friday the 15 of February, 2019 , with interventions from Mariana Mazzucato, Carlota Perez, Wolfgang Drechsler and Robert Wade.