Posted June 28th, 2009
by Daniel
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3 Comments
So I’ve just finished reading the 2nd edition of ‘X Marks the Spot‘ and as promised I’m here to give my honest review. To give you a little background, I read the first edition roughly two years ago before I spent my first year, traveling/working abroad.
I recently re-read the 1st edition as well in preparation for this review and I have to say, I think this book has actually had more of an influence on my life and way of thinking than I first gave it credit for. I’m currently back home in the UK but with every intention of experiencing more of the global lifestyle. That’s enough about me though and from now on it’s all about the book that’s been tagged as the indispensable guide to living & working anywhere you choose.
Although the phrase ‘location independent professional’ has been around for maybe a few years, the concept is as old as we’ve been trading across countries. At it’s most basic it all boils down to being able to travel the world whilst still maintaining your income. It could even be argued that a traveling bard from times past were living the location independent lifestyle, moving from place to place surviving on his trade.
Snap back to now with the advent of modern technology and the truth is, we all have the ability to create a wider reach with our jobs and our businesses. It’s possible for a website to be set up in London one morning and be selling products to Canada later that evening. Whilst building a sustainable business of any type will ultimately take time, it’s quite apparent that there is more opportunity than ever for global trade at all levels. Although that the ability to sell to people globally is great for business, it’s only when you take the steps to create a business that you can run from practically any location that you truly become location independent.
Lea Woodward (The Author) leads into the book with a little background about herself and her husband, Jon Woodward. She talks about the life that they were living before they made the transition and the specific events that took them both onto a completely different path through life.
I don’t know if you can imagine the way that your friends and family would handle the news that you were planning to weigh anchor and travel the globe, but you are bound to get a few reactions. Lea not only goes into some of the reactions she received from people but gives practical advice on how certain types of people are best left to deal with things in their own way.
If you’re thinking about buying the book you are more than likely interested in how this lifestyle might suit you. One of the key additions to the book is the mini self assessment that Lea shares to help you come to the decision about whether this really is the lifestyle for you. If you come out of this section as a convert then this is where the book really becomes exciting.
Without going into too much detail I’ll just mention that the second part of the book covers all the topics you would expect from a book of this sort and really breaks down the basics of what it will take to succeed in a lifestyle of location independence. There is information covering the three key elements of making the transformation for the employee/fixed home mindset to the life of a location independent profession. Another great addition are 3 simple lessons that you can use to guide yourself as you start to travel and make your dreams of freedom a reality.
Which Edition is for me?
The first thing that stands out about the second addition is that it appears shorter (83 pages in 2nd edition as opposed to 203 1st edition). Whilst this may seem counter intuitive, I actually believe that this is a huge improvement for anybody actively looking to become location independent. The general feel is that everything is more concise with visual depictions of certain concepts. This allows to the book to appeal to a wider audience of people who perhaps won’t have the time or desire to read the first edition. Having said that, if you are new completely foreign to the idea of location independence and would prefer a slightly more traditional style with extra narrative the first edition will probably be your book of choice.
Ultimately both editions provide you with roughly the same thing; an introduction to the concept of the location independent lifestyle, an idea of the kinds of costs and processes surrounding such a thing and finally, the steps that you will need to take to make it happen for you. If you are merely looking to this book for the process and steps driven areas then you will definitely opt for the second edition. However there is probably more information on specific locations within the first edition.
I’d also like to note that there is a hidden option, if you are undecided or would just like to have both editions of the book for personal reasons, Lea does offer a discount when both editions are purchased at the same time. To see up to date information from the woman herself along with the latest prices head on over to The Location Independent Book site.
Regardless of which edition you purchase I would highly recommend this book to any aspiring location independent professionals as it is a great starting point and should be the very first step to anybody that is researching the idea. If you are already quite knowledgeable about the topic and are possibly already running your own location independent business you probably don’t need this book, even though you may find the odd tip here or there to help you out.
Buy X Marks The Spot: The Indispensable Guide to Living & Working Anywhere You Choose
Experienced Location Independent Professionals: If you are one of those looking for the next step after you’ve read this book, then you will probably be happy to find out that Lea has also released a more in depth location independent business course. Her advanced course will almost hand guide you through the process of setting up your freedom business. You can read my review of the location independent business course here but please if you are not sure if it’s something for you, do yourself a favour and read X Marks the Spot first 
Disclosure: This is an honest review and I would not recommend something if I didn’t fully believe in it. Some of the links I’ve provided throughout this article provide me with a small affiliate commision towards my LIP fund at no extra cost to you, however if you’re not happy with this then just head on over to the LIP site.
