She was a graduate student at the Australian National University from 1971 to 1974, focusing on rural taxation in Indonesia for her dissertation. Afterward, she embarked on a teaching journey at the University of Singapore (now NUS), dedicating three years to imparting knowledge before eventually returning to the ANU as a research fellow. For numerous years, she devoted herself to studying the economic development of Southeast Asia, with a specific emphasis on Indonesia.
In 1991, she achieved a remarkable milestone when she was appointed to a prestigious chair at SOAS. Holding this position until her retirement in 2014, she continued to delve into her interests in the economic history of the Asian region. Throughout her career, she authored multiple books on the economic history of Southeast Asia, as well as a comparative analysis exploring the enduring effects of colonial policies across East and Southeast Asia. Her contributions were widely recognized, and she received numerous awards from the Leverhulme Foundation.
In the academic year 2015/16, she received an exceptional opportunity to serve as a Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Distinguished Fellow at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University, and the National University of Singapore. This appointment further enhanced her research endeavors and allowed her to collaborate with esteemed colleagues in the field.
Her book on Living Standards in Southeast Asia: Changes over the long twentieth century, 1900-2015, was published by Amsterdam University Press in 2019. She is now working on a study of globalisation in Southeast Asia over the long term.
Booth, Anne (2013). In: Bogaerts, Els, (eds.) and Raben, Remco, (eds.), Beyond Empire and Nation. Decolonizing Societies in Africa and Asia. Leiden: Brill, pp 69-107
Growing public? Explaining the changing economic role of the state in Asia over the twentieth century
Booth, Anne (2010). In: Lindblad, J. Thomas, (eds.) and Purwanto, Bambang, (eds.), Merajut sejarah ekonomi Indonesia : essays in honour of Thee Kian Wie : 75 years birthday. Yogyakarta: Penerbit Ombak, pp 283-326
Indonesian Colonial Economic Performance in an East Asian Perspective
Booth, Anne (2009). In: Post, Peter, (eds.) and Lindblad, J. Thomas, (eds.), Indonesian Economic Decolonization in Regional and International Perspective. Leiden: KITLV Press, pp 133-155
Can the Taiwan Model of Growth with Equity be Replicated in the South East Asian Context
Booth, Anne (2007). In: Greene, J. Megan, (eds.) and Ash, Robert, (eds.), Taiwan in the 21st Century: Aspects and Limitations of a Development Model. London: Routledge Curzon
Southeast Asia's Economic Performance: Achievements and Challenges
Booth, Anne (2004). In: Singh, Daljit, (eds.) and Wah, Chin Kin, (eds.), Southeast Asian Affairs 2004. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, pp 18-34
Strengthening SMEs in Southeast Asia's Agricultural Sector
Booth, Anne (2004). In: Hew Wei-Yen, Denis, (eds.) and Wee Nee, Loi, (eds.), Entrepreneurship and SMEs in Southeast Asia's Economic Development. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, pp 89-118
The Changing Importance of Off-farm Income for Agricultural Households in Indonesia
Booth, Anne (2003). In: Leinbach, Thomas R., (ed.), The Indonesian Rural Economy: Mobility, Work and Enterprise. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, pp 15-37
Education, Equality and Economic Development in the Asia-Pacific Region
Booth, Anne (2003). In: Andersson, Martin, (eds.) and Gunarsson, Christer, (eds.), Development and Structural Change in the Asia-Pacific. London: Routledge, pp 148-69
The Impact of a Severe Economic Crisis on Poverty and Distribution: An Indonesian Case Study: 1997-1999
Booth, Anne (2003). In: Booth, Anne, (eds.) and Mosley, Paul, (eds.), The New Poverty Strategies: What Have They Achieved: What Have We Learnt. London: Palgrave, pp 120-145
Rural Development, Income Distribution and Poverty Decline in South East Asia
Booth, Anne (2003). In: Nissanke, Machiko, (eds.) and Aryeetey, Ernest, (eds.), Comparative Development Experiences of Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia. UK: Ashgate, pp 426-458
Booth, Anne (2003). In: Jomo, Kwame Sundaram, (ed.), Southeast Asian Paper Tigers?: From Miracle to Debacle and Beyond. London: Routledge Curzon, pp 173-195
Why is South East Asia Different from Taiwan and South Korea?
Booth, Anne (2001). In: Lawrence, Peter, (eds.) and Thirtle, Colin, (eds.), Africa and Asia in Comparative Economic Perspective. Basingstoke: Palgrave, pp 11-33
Poverty, Equity and Living Standards in East Timor: Challenges for the New Nation
Booth, Anne (2001). In: Hill, H, (eds.) and Saldanha, J, (eds.), East Timor: Development Challenges for the World's Newest Nation. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, pp 241-255
The Impact of the Indonesian Crisis on Welfare: What do we know Two Years On?
Booth, Anne (2000). In: Manning, Chris, (eds.) and Van Diermen, Peter, (eds.), Indonesia in transition: Social Aspects of Reformasi and Crisis. Pasir Panjang: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, pp 145-162
Crisis and Response: Trade and Exchange Rates Policies in Three South East Asian Colonies in the 1930s
Booth, Anne (2000). In: Boomgaard, Peter, (eds.) and Brown, Ian, (eds.), Weathering the Storm: The Economies of Southeast Asia in the 1930s Depression. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, pp 274-294
Review of: Albert Winsemius and Singapore: Here it Is Going to Happen, EustonQuah, Luke NursultanIuldashov and ZachLee, World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd, Singapore2022. Pp. xlvi + 965. ISBN: 9789811229657
Booth, Anne (2024). Asian-Pacific Economic Literature (38) 1, pp 259-261
Review of: 'In Sickness and in Health: Diagnosing Indonesia', Firman Witoelar and Ariane Utomo, ISEAS Publishing, 2022, Singapore, Pp. 252 + xviii, ISBN 9789815011876
Booth, Anne (2023). Asian-Pacific Economic Literature (37) 1, pp 134-138