7 Best Books for Digital Nomads on The Quest to Location Independence
Fortunately, for aspiring digital nomads, there’s an abundance of information about how to become fully location independent. That’s because a growing number and percentage of people are ditching desk jobs and going untethered in favor of remote work and immersion in the gig economy. As more and more remote travelers make this jump, the availability to hot topics like dropshipping, eCommerce, and SEO from real people making real money through virtual avenues continues to increase. Between YouTube, blogs, and books, as long as you have the will, there’s certainly a how-to guide and plenty of tried-and-tested ways out there to help you on your quest for location independence. To make your mission a little easier, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best books written for the digitally nomadic.
1) The 4-Hour Workweek
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris is pretty much the bible for digital nomads. At the time of its inception, this book was the first to really touch on that crossroads of time freedom and location independence, explaining how to utilize automation, how to outsource, and how to create income with as little effort and time spent as possible.
Ferris provides real life examples, proving how anyone can live a life of freedom by intelligently designing the future they want. The 4-Hour Workweek was written about a decade ago, so dropshipping and other revenue-generating activities aren’t as cutting edge as they were ten years ago. However, the information is as relevant as ever and the principles stand the test of time.
2) $100 Startup
Many people aspiring to achieve location independence, want to start their own business venture, but only have a small budget to actually pull it off. In the $100 Startup, the author presents 50 high-level case studies of business owners earning more than $50,000 per year by investing $100 or less.
These individuals monetized their passions to enjoy complete financial, location, and time freedom. The $100 Startup includes key mistakes, exact income figures, and unique insights.
3) The Personal MBA
If you want a book that helps you go into business for yourself and takes a deep look at the personal and technical development you’ll need to execute as an operator, The Personal MBA should be your go-to. This book serves as a do-it-yourself alternative to a pricey, traditional MBA program.
The author breaks down key facts about productivity, sales, marketing, negotiation, operations, and a number of other critical areas for entrepreneurs. For digital nomads new to owning a business, The Personal MBA is particularly useful.
You may also find this article on the Best Free Certifications for Digital Marketers useful if this topic interests you.
4) Travel While You Work
Travel While You Work has extremely practical advice for aspiring remote travelers. This easy-to-read book will help you either start a mobile business or learn how to take your existing business mobile through resources, guidance, and inspiration.
Travel While You Work includes interviews with freelancers, business owners, and digitally nomadic families who successfully merged education and entrepreneurship. For anyone looking to transition from a nine-to-five or normal life to a location independent lifestyle, this should be one of the first books you order.
5) Steal Like An Artist
Steal Like an Artist is about creative ideas and how they’re developed. The book highlights 10 simple rules that break conventional wisdom regarding creative work from theft and subtraction to the importance of side projects and other hustles.
The book is perfect for digital nomads in the creative fields such as artists, entrepreneurs, designers, and professionals.
You might also find this article on the Paradox of Originality interesting if the origins of creativity fascinates you.
6) Vagabonding
Vagabonding emphasizes travel more than the other books on this list. It breaks down how to adjust to new countries, how to finance your travels, and how to deal with obstacles that come up along the way. Additionally, Vagabonding is a humorous tale for digital nomads, so it’s a nice bit of escapism for those looking to travel on a budget.
7) The Laptop Millionaire
While The Laptop Millionaire is a little more dense than some of the other entries on this list, it’s an incredible resource for anyone who wants to make that jump from the 9-5 life to a location independent existence.
The Laptop Millionaire outlines blueprints and strategies for launching your remote business. The author offers the same guidelines he used to achieve time, financial, and location freedom.
Final Note
It’s possible you fall so madly in love with one or two of these books that you carry them around on your travels like your digital nomad bible, but you probably don’t want to haul around a small library of paperbacks.
If you plan on reading a lot of books, re-reading the ones you enjoy, and want unlimited access to new material, we’d recommend looking into the Kindle Paperwhite or the Kindle Oasis e-readers. Both are waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about losing your virtual book collection in whatever conditions your adventures lead you to.
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