Goldsmith is the author of two fiction and one non-fiction books—Jade Phoenix,[3] Two Musicians and The Wife Who Isn’t [4] and Hong Kong on the Brink: An American Diplomat Relives 1967's Darkest Days [5] — as well as numerous news op-ed articles.

In the novel, a U.S. journalist and a Taiwanese businessman overcome huge cultural differences and become the closest of friends, only to discover that they both love the same woman.

Although a novel, the work combined aspects of journalism, autobiography, and memoir as Goldsmith knows many of the historical persons who appear as characters in the book, both real and fictionalized.

In an interview with the Taipei Times, Goldsmith said that he wrote the book "in a search for deeper understanding of the soul of Taiwan during the turbulent decade of the 1970s when everything changed.

His third book, Hong Kong on the Brink: An American Diplomat Relives 1967’s Darkest Days, published in 2017, a critical and unsparing account of Goldsmith's experience during one of Hong Kong's deadliest periods, details “Hong Kong … simmering, plagued by communist-led riots and strikes, crippled transport, punishing water-rationing, takeover threats from Beijing and roadside bombs.” The South China Morning Post calls it “an informative, engaging read filled with vivid historical detail.” [11] Goldsmith lives in Taipei, Taiwan.