I picked up this book expecting a straight critique of free trade, but it is more about how free trade keeps poor countries down, and the double standards that rich countries use to do it. A slightly different angle of analysis than I expected, but valuable and enlightening nonethless. Chang Ha-Joon's tone is conversational, but there are still some heavy economic sections where my eyes glazed over a bit. I don't have the economics background to critically read those sections. However, the endless counter-examples that he rolls out are valuable, knowing what I do about the neoliberal narrative.

This is the first time I have read one of Chang Ha-Joon's books. I hadn't heard of him until recently. This book was published in 2007. I enjoyed it, and recommend it, and am now motivated to find out what his thoughts are post-2008 financial crisis.