Book/Guide/Blog Recommendations for Taiwan Relocation

When I moved to China and lived in Shanghai for two years, the Moon Living Abroad in China book made the transition super easy. I am now in Taipei as a student for a few months. I have been to Taiwan before, but I am looking for good books or blogs more seasoned Taiwan expats would recommend that balance sightseeing (beyond the typical tourist spots) with tips for living in Taiwan (like the complicated garbage disposal system). I am usually not a fan of pure travel guides, but if you swear by Lonely Planet Taiwan or something like that, let me know!

Thanks so much!

This book is a bargain, assuming you are able to buy/read an ebook:

It’s also extremely well written and full of useful facts.

It’s cheap but the reviews are not exactly stellar. Wasn’t it written by someone on this forum?

Yes, it was written by a long-time member of the forum (but not me). The reviews look okay to me, but for US$0.99, you can’t really go wrong.

Agreed. $0.99USD is barely 30NTD. If OP doesn’t find it helpful, it’s not like there’s a hole in their wallet from buying an expensive book.

I can suggest going to the second hand book shops across from NTU (Gong Guan shopping area) and browsing the English sections. I bet my bottom dollar that there’s plenty of moving to Taiwan related books since that area is full of exchange students.

I’ll take a look. Thank you!

Will do. How does it compare to, say, the Taiwan travel section at the Xinyi Eslite?

Pretty cute, you pretending you can read and all.

What do reviewers know, eh? Morons, the lot of them (apart from those who liked it, of course).

I think some reviewers are expecting it to be something it’s not. It doesn’t tell you where the best restaurants are or how to ask for sour cream in Mandarin. It’s not a travel guide (you are spoiled for choice there, with Lonely Planet, Bradt, Rough Guide, Insight and more). It’s not a phrase book. It’s the basics of visas, getting a bank account and internet service, renting a flat – all the stuff you need when you’re moving to Taiwan, rather than visiting on holiday. It’s not intending to be comprehensive or stunningly in-depth, but it does provide a solid introduction while answering a lot of newbie questions.

I hear he got voted off the island a couple of years back.

Actually, I wrote it because there wasn’t anything similar around, and I still haven’t seen anything similar. It’s sold somewhere around 600 copies, at a price that has varied between $0.99 and $4.99, and I’ll be putting it back up to $2.99 shortly. If you want it, grab it while it costs less than a can of Taiwan Beer.

Will do! Please give me 24 hours :D!

You’re absolutely right. I think the only similar thing I have seen is the book Taipei Living by The Center http://www.communitycenter.org.tw/.

Oh, that’s true, I’d forgotten about Taipei Living (perhaps because of its limited availability). If you’re not bothered about price, buy that book instead, it’s probably better!