A selection of 6 books for expats and digital nomads

Dear fellow expats stuck at home, 

In these difficult times of worldwide Corona-panic and curfews many people all of the sudden have plenty of time on their hands.

A perfect moment for us to share this selection of 6 books, straight off the bookshelf of the Globexs office. I made this selection together with a few Globexs customers and staff members. These books are not specifically written for or about expats or digital nomads, but they are somehow related to Global Mobility (well… sort of), so I think that most of you will enjoy reading them. 

I have added these books to the book section of our webshop for expats in case you want to buy them. Or alternatively, drop by our office to borrow them when this Corona-crisis is over. In the following weeks I will be publishing more selections of books, always somehow related to global mobility, remote work, company relocations or living in Spain. We need to keep ourselves busy folks!

Enjoy reading!

Lodewijk Cuypers
Founder Globexs

Table of Contents

The expats

The Expats written by Chris Pavone. (fiction)

The story is about Kate Moore, an expat mum, who moved from Washington D.C. to Luxembourg, her days are filled with play dates and coffee mornings, her weekends spent in Paris or skiing in the Alps. Kate is also guarding a secret – one so momentous it could destroy her neat little expat life – and she suspects that another American couple are not who they claim to be; plus her husband is acting suspiciously. As she travels around Europe, she finds herself looking over her shoulder, terrified her past is catching up with her. As Kate begins to dig, to uncover the secrets of those around her, she finds herself buried in layers of deceit so thick they threaten her family, her marriage and her life.

My opinion: This was one of the first books on the Globexs bookshelf. I remember buying this book simply because of the title. But it turned out to be a very entertaining novel, and several Globexs staff members took the book home. 

This book is for sale in the Globexs webshop and cost 15.70€ 

The day after tomorrow

The day after tomorrow written by Peter Hinssen. (non-fiction)

 For today’s organizations, our exponentially changing world has come with great consequences. In this book, Peter Hinssen tells the story of the pioneers who managed to adapt to those changes and who moved beyond today and even tomorrow in their approach of innovation. In doing so, they were able to change the course of entire industries.

My opinion: At the Globexs office we have this book in dutch, the language this book was first written in. Peter Hinssen is a celebrity in my small village in Belgium where we both are from (Assenede). I have been following his work and carreer for a long time. The Day After Tomorrow is his best book so far. The book offers a great read about the future of business and it has definitely shifted my personal perspective on the future of my company Globexs.

This book is for sale in the Globexs webshop and cost 29.41€ 

North Korea Journal

North Korea Journal written by Michael Palin. (non-fiction)

 A glimpse of life inside the world’s most secretive country, as told by Britain’s best-loved travel writer.

In May 2018, former Monty Python stalwart and intrepid globetrotter Michael Palin spent two weeks in the notoriously secretive Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a cut-off land without internet or phone signal, where the countryside has barely moved beyond a centuries-old peasant economy but where the cities have gleaming skyscrapers and luxurious underground train stations. His resulting documentary for Channel 5 was widely acclaimed.

My opinion: My parents gave me this book as a christmas gift and I read it in 24 hours. A very enjoyable book with nice pictures that gives you an insight to the strangest country on earth.

This book is for sale in the Globexs webshop and cost 12.99€ 

Unpack

Unpack: A guide to life as an expat spouse, written by Lana Wimmer & Tanya Arler (non-fiction)

 

 As an expat spouse, how do you choose the right home for your family, transition your kids to a new country and school, adjust to a new culture, and build a whole new network of friends? Expat spouses face many questions, and this book is designed to offer straightforward answers. Written by two expats – with over 15 international moves between them – you’ll find inspiration and wisdom to handle your expat dilemmas.

My opinion: Unpack was one of the first books that we bought at Globexs and it has been changing hands in the office since several years. In fact, it was also one of the first books that we offered for sale in our webshop. 

This book is for sale in the Globexs webshop and cost 12.99€ 

Sun Tzu: Strategies for selling

Sun Tzu Strategies for Selling, written by Gerald Michaelson (non-fiction)

 

 How to Use The Art of War to Build Lifelong Customer Relationships

In Sun Tzu Strategies for Selling, the world’s leading interpreter of Sun Tzu’s timeless strategies for the modern business audience shows you how the ancient Chinese General’s classic strategies can lead you to victory on the increasingly competitive sales battlefield–or, better yet, without doing battle at all! It transforms Sun Tzu’s wisdom into contemporary sales advice, object lessons, and real-life “how-tos”.

My opinion: This book is one of my personal favourites. As a business owner building lifelong customer relationships is crucial. I am not pretending that this book has been hyper-important in my carreer, but it definitely provided me with some new and surprising insights about sales & marketing.

This book is for sale in the Globexs webshop and cost 11.77€ 

Solve For Happy

Solve For Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy: Engineering Your Path to Uncovering the Joy Inside You, written by Mo Gawdat

In 2001, Mo Gawdat, a remarkable thinker whose gifts had landed him top positions in half a dozen companies and who – in his spare time – had created significant wealth, realized that he was desperately unhappy. A lifelong learner, he attacked the problem as an engineer would, examining all the provable facts and scrupulously following logic. When he was finished, he had discovered the equation for enduring happiness.

Ten years later, that research saved him from despair when his college-aged son, Ali – also intellectually gifted – died during routine surgery. In dealing with the loss, Mo found his mission: he would pull off the type of ‘moonshot’ that he and his Google [X] colleagues were always aiming for: he would help ten million people become happier by pouring his happiness principles into a book and spreading its message around the world.

My opinion: I am usually not interested in self-healing happiness books, but this one caught my attention because of the author. Mo Gawdat was a top executive at Google with an engineering background. So I bought it and I loved it.

This book is for sale in the Globexs webshop and cost 11.19€ 

Globexs offers a wide range of flexible tempory expat rentals in all price ranges.

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The Globexs experience

At Globexs we all agree that our job is making people feel welcome. Globexs is, in essence, a people-company: people working for people. Us working for expats. We are the little tap on your shoulder and the voice whispering in your ear that everything will be allright 👌.