Books About Moving Abroad
9 Books about Relocating to Gain an Edge in Your Life
Listen to “9 Books About Moving Out of Home You Should Read BEFORE Packing.” on Spreaker.I moved away from home more than 14 years ago. 9 years ago, I moved out of my country.
To find information was so rare that sometimes we relied on advice from people that moved to Canada when actually we were relocating to South America. Any idea was welcome because, in fact, it was all we had.
But if you are moving out in 2022, you are part of the lucky ones. Never in history, there been such an extensive amount of great blogs, posts, and even entire books with life-saving advice about moving out from home.
The post is divided into 4 parts:
- Books about moving abroad or away from home. Here are the best titles in terms of cultural adaptation, general life advice, and psychological preparation. It doesn’t matter if your destination is another city, state, or overseas, take a look at these pages.
Books about Digital Nomads. Digital Nomads (an especific type of remote worker) are an increasing community of people that leave their homes without a fixed address, a possibility offered by remote jobs. In this post, there is a longer explanation about what they really are. You can also check the best city in the world for Digital Nomads. - Books for entrepreneurs. Some of us leave our homes because of our studies. Others, due to relationships or professional opportunities. There are also individuals that move out to execute business ideas. This is my case.
- The Best Book if you are leaving the United States. Here you will see only 1 recommendation, inserted especially for my dear American readers that are planning to move elsewhere.
Books about moving away from home
Move to the Place of Your Dreams: A Relocation Handbook
Publication year: 2014
Amazon Rating (From 1 to 5): 4.2 stars.
Why you should read it: In this book, you’ll learn about the rewards of relocation and discover why moving might be right for you. The book provides a low-stress, step-by-step process to help you find the best place for you, move there, and adjust to a new environment.
This comprehensive guide is packed with exercises and tools to help you organize your feelings, questions, preferences, and plans. In addition, you’ll find an amazing compilation of up-to-date resources on practical, legal, and financial matters related to moving.
Where you can buy it: https://amzn.to/3e3kdAW
Moving Out, Working Abroad and Keeping Your Sanity: 11 secrets to make your expat & digital nomad life better than you imagine
Publication year: 2020
Amazon Rating (From 1 to 5): 4.4 stars.
Why you should read it: In this book, you will learn things like:
– The extraordinary source of information to make you like a local, still you are not using it! (hint: it is not the media or expatriate forums)
– The advice for your family you will never regret following. Neither they will.
– How to adapt to the local behavior and etiquette in a few days and succeed in your expatriate job.
– How to make the residents enjoy and respect you like one of them.
– How to thrive like a local without being one.
Where you can buy it: https://amzn.to/3g88aFa
Culture Hacks: Deciphering Differences in American, Chinese, and Japanese Thinking
Publication year: 2019
Amazon Rating (From 1 to 5): 4.5 stars.
Why is it a good book about moving abroad: Richard Conrad wades with aplomb and expertise into the most sensitive and maddeningly elusive topic for anyone trying to grapple with Asia’s rise: the tricky role of culture in countries like Japan and China and its intersection with economics, business, and trade. Armed with both languages and years on the ground, Conrad casts an expert analyst’s eye over everything from best business practices to the way business and political elites calculate decisions across cultures, to the rising tensions between the US and China
Where you can buy it: https://amzn.to/3saDS7j
Books about moving to another country as a Digital Nomad
The Digital Nomad Handbook
Publication year: 2020
Amazon Rating (From 1 to 5): 4.2 stars.
Why you should read it: Divided into two sections, this informative book firstly explains the practicalities of working on the road, such as income generation, managing career changes, keeping in touch with family and maintaining relationships, what to do with your stuff, overcoming common pre-departure fears, keeping healthy on the road and much more.
The second showcases a number of ideal destinations for digital nomads, offering invaluable travel insights and information about the location in question, pros and cons, as well as inspirational tales from digital nomads out on the road. […] Written by some of Lonely Planet’s very own nomadic experts, this book is packed with top tips, insights and real life tales on what it’s really like to be working on the road.
Where you can buy it: https://amzn.to/3deIcOm
Tales of A Digital Nomad: A Narrative of Freeing Oneself Through Travel, Adventure, and Self-Realization
Publication year: 2019
Amazon Rating (From 1 to 5): 4 stars.
Why you should read it: This breathtaking journey will deeply move those wanting to jet off into the horizon to explore the corners of the earth. Imagine the trepidation Nadia feels, intermingled with the excitement of discovery as she takes the brave leap to start her own business, then goes traveling and meet new people, and work towards a difficult and painful lesson in self-realization.
Where you can buy it: https://amzn.to/2QoBaO1
Best Expat books for entrepreneurs
Expat Secrets: How To Pay Zero Taxes, Live Overseas & Make Giant Piles of Money
Publication year: 2018
Amazon Rating (From 1 to 5): 4.1 stars.
Why you should read it: In this #1 Best Selling Book Mikkel Thorup draws on his 20+ years of overseas experience to bring you an easy-to-understand guide for living overseas, saving money on taxes, obtaining a second passport, and traveling the world as an Expat.
This book will save you years of trial and error and will give you a comprehensive blueprint to planting flags around the globe as a PT (Previous Taxpayer, Permanent Tourist, Perpetual Traveller).
Expat Secrets is filled with timeless knowledge stemming from Mikkel Thorup’s travels to more than 100 countries to bring you a No-BS approach to the offshore markets.
Where you can buy it: https://amzn.to/3mHTaPL
Starting Your Own Business Far From Home: What (Not) to Do When Opening a Company in Another State, Country, or Galaxy
Publication year: 2020
Amazon Rating (From 1 to 5): 4.5 stars.
Why you should read it: In this book, you will discover:
★ The Business and Non-Business factors to consider when choosing a place to open a company. Often neglected, they are the difference between catastrophic failures and remarkable success.
★ How to find local allies
★ How to understand your competition better than themselves!
★ How to discover and avoid paths leading to business destruction.
★ How to absorb environmental changes and use them in your favor. (Hint: Taleb).
★ What should you know to not be fooled?
Where you can buy it: https://amzn.to/3mIsw9n
Global Career: How to Work Anywhere and Travel Forever (Become a Digital Nomad Today with Remote Work!)
Publication year: 2018
Amazon Rating (From 1 to 5): 4.6 stars
Why you should read it: This comprehensive guide is filled with genuine stories and actionable advice including:
– Specific shortcuts and tips you need to build a world-class career on the move
– Skills for negotiating and obtaining further education, internships, and high-paying work overseas
Where you can buy it: https://amzn.to/3uTBWSt
Best Book if you are leaving the United States
U.S. Taxes for Worldly Americans: The Traveling Expat’s Guide to Living, Working, and Staying Tax Compliant Abroad
Publication year: 2017
Amazon Rating (From 1 to 5): 4.4 stars.
Why you should read it: Olivier covers a wealth of international tax information updated for 2021, including:
· Step-by-step instructions for the Forms and Schedules you will use to file your offshore tax, no matter where you are.
· How to qualify for special deductions, credits, and exemptions on international taxation.
· Why opening bank accounts and corporations in foreign countries is easier than you think.
· How residency or citizenship in another country can legally lower your taxes.
· How your spouse and children (whether American or of another nationality) affect your tax situation.
· Practical advice for moving, living, and working with tax-free income in other parts of the world.
· What to consider before renouncing your American citizenship and saying goodbye to the IRS for good.
Where you can buy it: https://amzn.to/3scpEmd
Are there any other books you would recommend to people that are moving out from home? Please let me know in the comments about your best books about moving abroad! Also, check this list of must-read self-development books to transform your life.
Levi Borba is CEO of expatriateconsultancy.com, creator of the channel Small Business Hacks, and best-selling author. You can check his books here, his other articles here, or his Linkedin here.