Whether you’re already living the digital nomad life or are just dreaming of a remote, location-independent career, knowledge is king.
Here are 6 books covering a range of digital nomad-related topics, from starting your remote career, developing a productive mindset, adapting to different cultures, and more.
Keep in mind that not all of these books are specifically aimed at digital nomads. Still, they contain invaluable information for anyone involved in remote work or pursuing a location-independent lifestyle!
The Suitcase Entrepreneur: Create Freedom in Business and Adventure in Life – Natalie Sisson
“Freedom is the new currency, and by that I mean, if you can monetize yourself, your skills, or those of others, you can be both fulfilled and financially free.”
Natalie Sisson
The Suitcase Entrepreneur is an inspiring and easy-to-read guide for aspiring digital nomads and location-independent entrepreneurs who need the push to realize what they really want in life and how to make the business fit around that.
Sisson shares her experiences and insights on how to create a successful online business while traveling the world, i.e. joining the ranks of suitcase entrepreneurs everywhere. The book covers a wide range of topics, including the best systems and tools to run your business from anywhere, how to use social media for your marketing, and how to build a world-class virtual sales and customer service team.
The author’s personal stories and interviews with other successful digital nomads offer a light, easy-to-follow road map, and inspiration for those who want to combine their love of travel with their entrepreneurial ambitions. This book will help you develop the skills and mindset needed to create a self-sufficient online business, become a successful digital nomad, and live life on your own terms.
Digital Nomads: How to Live, Work and Play Around the World – André Gussekloo & Esther Jacobs
“Times have changed. Jobs-for-life are a thing of the past. Houses aren’t the sure-fire investment they used to be. Divorce rates surge. Pensions and life-long jobs aren’t safe or guaranteed anymore. A career is no longer the ultimate goal in life. Lack of freedom is making us unhappy and restless.“
André Gussekloo & Esther Jacobs
The authors of Digital Nomads: How to Live, Work and Play Around the World share their own experiences as well as tips from fellow digital nomads they know on how to find remote work, manage finances, deal with the challenges of living abroad, and more.
Gussekloo & Jacobs also address the social and psychological aspects of the nomadic lifestyle, such as building a support network, maintaining deep relationships, and dealing with feelings of loneliness and isolation.
The book is a valuable resource for aspiring digital nomads looking to make the transition to a location-independent lifestyle and explore the world while working remotely. Practical tips and actionable advice with inspiring stories and anecdotes make it an engaging and informative read if you’re interested in the digital nomad lifestyle.
You can read our more detailed Digital Nomads quick review here.
The Digital Nomad Survival Guide: How to Successfully Travel the World While Working Remotely – Peter Knudson & Katherine Conaway
“We’ve all grown up with models of what it means to be an adult: get a job, make a home, start a family. The conventional lifestyle is rooted in cultural traditions and historical needs and opportunities. But it’s no longer the only way.”
Peter Knudson & Katherine Conaway
The Digital Nomad Survival Guide is an actionable one-stop-shop book for anyone looking to combine travel with remote work. The authors share their own experiences as successful digital nomads and offer advice on finding the best places to visit, managing your budget, and staying productive while on the move.
The book covers essential topics such as setting up a virtual office, managing time zones, and optimizing travel logistics. Additionally, it features packing checklists, sample budgets, websites, blogs, apps recommendations, and more.
Knudson & Conaway also address the challenges of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, making friends and staying healthy on the road, and dealing with the unique stresses of the digital nomad lifestyle. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone considering living a location-independent life, offering insights and strategies in one place and in an easy-to-digest manner.
Remote, Inc. – Robert C. Pozen, Alexandra Samuel
“Thinking as a Business of One lets you focus on outcomes instad of hours wokred, and outcomes are what should matter to both you and your employer. By helping you rethnink and reorganize the way your work remotely, this model solves the problems of accountability, productivity, and output measurement – but in a totally different way from the outdated obsession with the eight-hour day.”
Robert C. Pozen & Alexandra Samuel
Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive at Work . . . Wherever You Are is a practical guide for navigating the world of remote work and thriving in today’s increasingly virtual workplace. Co-authored by Robert C. Pozen, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and Alexandra Samuel, a data journalist, this book provides essential tools and strategies to help you succeed as a remote worker.
The book covers a wide range of topics, such as setting up an effective workspace, managing your time and energy, breaking down your tasks and projects, managing your priorities, collaborating with colleagues, and building a strong virtual presence.
Remote, Inc. also offers advice on how to advance your remote career and maintain a healthy work-life balance in a remote work environment. By following the principles outlined in this book, you can create a personalized strategy that allows you to be productive and successful, no matter where you are.
Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel – Rolf Potts
“Vagabonding is not a lifestyle, nor is it a trend. It’s just an uncommon way of looking at life – a value adjustement from which action naturally follows. And, as much as anything, vagabonding is about time – our only real commodity – and how we choose to use it.“
Rolf Potts
Vagabonding isn’t exclusively focused on digital nomads but is an inspirational read for anyone considering slow long-term travel as a lifestyle choice and seeking to blend work and travel. Rolf Potts shares his experiences and insights on how to embrace traveling the world independently for an extended period of time lifestyle, with tips on budgeting, finding accommodations, and cultivating a mindset of wonder and curiosity.
The author’s writing emphasizes the importance of slow travel, savoring experiences, and immersing yourself in different cultures to gain a deeper understanding of the world and yourself and build meaningful relationships.
The book also provides essential advice on navigating the logistical aspects of long-term travel, from funding your travel time, choosing your destination, packing, and handling travel hardships. Vagabonding is more than just a guide to travel – it’s a philosophical exploration of the rewards and challenges of living a nomadic lifestyle and an invitation to embrace the freedom and self-discovery that come with it.
You can read our more detailed Vagabonding quick review here.
At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe – Tsh Oxenreider
“Every memoir I leaf through in the travel section at the bookstore tells stories from people in search of themselves on the open road. Usually they are young and single. (…) Their stories are a pre-travel life that is rough at best, soul-sucking at worst. Nobody seems to embark on a massive journey because their lives are already full of meaning. I look out beyond the precipice into a year of global nomadism and a pang of guilt gut-punches me: I wonder if it’s selfish to uproot us in the name of itchy feet.”
Tsh Oxenreider
At Home in the World is a memoir and travelogue by Tsh Oxenreider, chronicling her family’s nine-month-long journey across the globe. As they traverse different countries, cultures, and experiences, Tsh reflects on the concept of belonging and what it means to feel at home in the world.
It is filled with heartfelt and vivid stories of the family’s adventures, from navigating bustling markets in Hong Kong to hiking through the jungles of Sri Lanka. As Tsh and her family explore the world, they also discover the beauty of finding their place in it, embracing the freedom of a wandering lifestyle while feeling rooted in their relationships and sense of purpose.
If you’re interested in starting your own freelance venture, you’ll find some useful reads in our piece on the best books for freelancers (opens in a new tab) covering a range of freelance-related topics including getting your company of one off the ground, discovering the right mindset, enhancing productivity, and more.
