slyhatcoderp

He did work for a couple of years. When he tried to quit - it ended on uncomfortable terms because they didn't want him to quit. Now, he can't even use them as reference or something, because he's afraid they might say bad stuff about him (I highly doubt this! He fears too much). This is the situation he's trying to avoid.

He already is living in one such area in the US.

How to demonstrate such value WITHOUT it resulting in him getting tied down? As I said, he likes projects that last for a few weeks and then he hibernates.

You're right. He's too attached to the idea of temp. He would panic if he hears "I would need you for 20 hours a week for rest of the year". Commitment-phobia is what I can think of - due to health and study reasons. Does your book address this?