Looking for books for digital nomads?
If you’re a digital nomad or you’re dreaming about living the digital nomad life, reading about how to grow your business or earn money while traveling is important.
Whether you want to learn how to use technology to outsource and automate your tasks or want to learn practical information and positive motivation from successful nomads, there are lots of educational books you can read to improve your knowledge.
This post talks about the top 10 digital nomad books all nomads working remotely can get value from.
Best Digital Nomad Books
1. The 4-Hour Workweek
The 4-Hour Workweek is inarguably the most popular digital nomad book. Authored by Tim Ferris, an entrepreneur and lifestyle guru, this book explains how to use technology to outsource and automate your tasks.
Ferris (one of the pioneers of digital nomadism) encourages readers to switch from the 9-5 lifestyle that he refers to as a deferred life plan, to a nomadic lifestyle that inspires freedom, productivity, and health.
Most of the strategies Ferris discussed in this book are gold standard ideas for the nomad community. Because it was authored a while ago some ideas have become outdated, like dropshipping, but its influence and general life advice are still solid.
One of the biggest reasons nomads widely accept this book is because the publisher uses real-life examples remote workers can relate with.
2. Choose Yourself
James Altucher wrote this book for people who want a better option to their corporate 9-5 life. According to him, ‘I want to change your life and perspectives.’
The author wrote this book based on his life experience as an entrepreneur who has created several businesses, lost a huge sum of money, and gone through multiple depressions.
Packed with statistics, suggestions, and anecdotes, ‘Choose yourself’ explains the recent change in the world of work. He also emphasizes why solopreneurs need to build physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional resilience. He encourages people to work on the career of their choosing instead of endlessly climbing the corporate ladder.
According to a statement in chapter 1, “The world is evolving. Markets are going down the drain. People lose jobs. Jobs vanish. This is the best time to choose yourself rather than a corporate career that may vanish at any time.”
3. Crush It!
Gary Vaynerchuk is a popular entrepreneur, successful digital nomad internet personality, and creator of motivational Youtube videos and podcasts. One of Gary’s life goals is to become wealthy enough to buy his favorite American football team, the New York Jets.
Crush It! is the first book Gary V wrote. This book encourages nomads to start getting comfortable with being uncomfortable to pursue their big goal and Vaynerchuk’s personality and motivational spirit shine through.
Crush it! packs practical information and positive motivation in just one book.
Whether you’re already freelancing or just transitioning into remote jobs, Gary V helps you structure your choices and decisions to form the habits needed to actualize your location-independent lifestyle.
4. The Alchemist
The Alchemist is different from other books on this list. Paolo Coelho uses fiction to engage with a young man seeking to find his destiny. Not satisfied to follow the life path set before him, the protagonist of The Alchemist travels the world to discover the version of himself that he was meant to become.
This fictional book was published in 1986 as a story about chasing your dreams. The Alchemist tells the story of a boy who visualizes that there are treasures buried below the Pyramids of Egypt and pursues the dream of taking the treasure.
The author wrote the book as a spiritual fable and packaged it in the language of esotericism and mystique. The journey the protagonist faces is one many digital nomads face as it deals with struggles with people trying to convince him to give up, getting stuck in places of complacency, and dealing with overwhelming odds stacked against him.
The Alchemist is one of the all-time best-selling books and it is available in over 80 different languages.
5. When To Jump
Mike Lewis had a pretty good job working as a venture capitalist, but it wasn’t his passion. His passion lay in becoming a professional squash player. His biggest hurdle was trying to figure out how to get there when his career was going well and there was so much risk in following his dreams.
Michael Lewis uses his personal experience to explain his “Jump Curve” which involves applying practical steps to tackle the fear and anxiety that come with taking the leap from the known comforts to following a dream. Not one to go blindly into following his passion, When to Jump uses an investment banking approach to solve career shifts or life changes.
Besides telling his personal story, Lewis also draws inspiration from real-life examples of people who boldly started a new journey without looking back. From a banker turned bishop to a garbage collector who now designs furniture, When To Jump has something for people of all walks of life.
This is a perfect digital nomad book for someone looking for practical advice before starting the digital nomad journey.
6. The $100 Startup
The $100 startup is one of the oldest books in the nomad space. If you’re looking to start your own business, this is a good place to start.
Written by Chris Guillebeau, a nomad, and entrepreneur, this book opens a case study of 50 people who started with an initial investment of $100 (or even less) and scaled their business to $50,000.
The book challenged the idea that every business needs a huge initial start-up capital to succeed. Guillebeau’s book dismantled the idea that an MBA and specialized degree were a requirement to become a successful entrepreneur. He consciously picked individuals that didn’t have a special skill, but had a personal passion that they could make a business out of.
Chris Guillebeau gives realistic examples of how to make the dream of becoming a digital nomad a reality through his real-life case studies and business advice that the entrepreneurs have learned along the way.
7. The Art of Non-Conformity
The Art of Non-Conformity is another bestseller from Chris Guillebeau. The book challenges common misconceptions about work and the secret behind an ideal life.
This guidebook is more philosophical compared to The $100 Startup. The Art of Non-Conformity will inspire you to reflect on your first step in the nomad space, the lifestyle you desire, and the practical steps to actualize your dreams.
A recurring talking point in the book is how people will only make changes when the pain of not making the change is greater than the pain of making the change. So we need to get out of our comfort zone in order to get where we want to go. This book serves as a good inspiration for aspiring digital nomads.
8. Vagabonding
Although most nomad books focus on the business part, Rolf Potts talks about traveling. He explains how to fund expensive travels, familiarize with the nomadic lifestyle and adjust to the challenges of making the changes.
Potts wrote this book with a great sense of humor and several first-person anecdotes. The book also encourages you to try new ideas and challenge the belief that you need a lot of money to travel.
The book is a good read for someone who hasn’t experienced long-term travel but wants to be a digital nomad. So if you want to travel for a few months and still have time to work from your laptop, get Vagabonding.
9. The Personal MBA
If you’re looking for a bestseller that dives deep into building your personal business, check out The Personal MBA. Fed up by the typical cookie-cutter lessons given in MBA programs Josh Kaufmann wrote this book as a great alternative to the conventional, expensive MBA program.
Kaufmann talks about marketing, productivity, sales, negotiation, and work-life balance. This is a great fit for a beginning business owner. The Personal MBA is an educational read for anyone looking to gain knowledge of the most ignored side of digital marketing.
10. Delivering Happiness
Tony Hsieh wrote Delivering Happiness to educate readers on how to run a successful e-commerce platform. He knows a thing or two, as he is the CEO and founder of Zappos, one of the largest e-commerce stores online. His book helps digital nomad readers with dealing with clients, having customers, and the ins and outs of hiring employees versus freelancers.
Hsieh outlines the ten core tenants of his business that have helped Zappos grow into the giant it is today.
This book is a little different from others on this list, who mostly focus on solopreneurs and smaller businesses. Tony Hsieh writes about company culture, the customer service experience, and how to make working with your company a delight for everyone involved.
Digital Nomad Books – Final Thoughts
According to statistics, there are 15.5 million digital nomads in the world and the number continues to surge.
This dream of being able to work from anywhere while still being able to enjoy life has only been made possible recently through recent advancements in technology which made traveling to any part of the world easier.
There is no better time to live the digital nomad lifestyle than now.
If your dream is to do remote work from one of the finest beaches in Ibiza, read your favorite digital nomad book (like maybe one of the ten suggested up top), travel to 200 countries, or just simply live a life without office stress, the time has never been better.
Whether you’re just getting started as a digital nomad or plotting your escape from corporate life, we hope these digital nomad books benefit your research. Be sure to check out the best digital nomad podcasts and sign up for our newsletter for up-to-date nomad content.
