The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell YOU

by Mike Dooley

“I know this may come as a shock, and you know I’m not fond of using stale one-liners, but—‘reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.’ I’m as alive now as I was on the day we met, except, maybe, more so.”

     If the dead could speak, don’t you wonder what they would say to those of us they’ve left behind? What would they tell us to soothe our sorrow for their loss, calm our fears of what happens when we die, and fire us up to live the best possible lives we can right now?
     In pages filled with wisdom, humor, and, yes, joy, New York Times best-selling author Mike Dooley explores our most pressing and profound questions about the afterlife—and this life—from the fresh perspective of those who have made the transition to the next phase. Among the revelations and insights they share:
 
• We were ready; you are not.
 
• There’s no such thing as a devil or hell.
 
• We’re sorry for any pain we may have caused.
 
• Your pets are just as crazy, brilliant, and loving here as they were there.
 
• Nothing we say can prepare you for the beauty of the moment you arrive.
 
     You’ll learn that our loved ones are not lost to us; that our time on earth is both a school and an adventure; that, all appearances to the contrary, life truly is fair; and that we have it in us to reshape our own fortunes, starting today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Self Help, Inspirational, Metaphysics, Psychology, New Age

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 21, 2014

About the author

Mike Dooley is a former PriceWaterhouseCoopers international tax consultant, turned entrepreneur, who's founded a philosophical Adventurers Club on the Internet that's now home to over 350,000 members from over 189 countries. His inspirational books have been published in 23 languages and he was one of the featured teachers in the international phenomenon, The Secret. Today Mike is perhaps best known for his Notes from the Universe emailings and his New York Times bestseller Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your Dreams. Mike lives what he teaches, traveling internationally speaking on life, dreams, happiness.

Reviews

[Phillipa Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book completely changed my way of thinking about a lot of things, the primary one being that when we're ready to die, we will die - it's not up to Father Time or anyone else, we simply allow ourselves to go. There is a chapter on suicide that delves into this and having experienced this in my life I found this concept comforting, that at any point we have complete control over our lives; that we shape our destiny through our thoughts and beliefs; that we create the circumstances that we find ourselves in; and that if we choose to end the life we have chosen to live that we will return to repeat the lessons again until we get out of them what we came here to get out of them.

I loved the idea that as human beings, our souls find Earth the most challenging playground, so if we're here right now, we're here because we were totally up for the challenge. People that complain about their lives have no idea about the magnificent powers of the Universe that helped them get here in the first place, and how sad is it that these people can't see through the bad to embrace what has been given to them and rise to the challenge.

I really enjoyed the chapter on animals and especially pets; how they travel through one lifetime to another with us.

If you're ready to have your mind reshaped, this book will certainly do it for you. I have found more (resonating) answers in this book than I have ever found in any religious document.

Mike Dooley, thank you for writing this book and for being my angel here on Earth.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I must admit to skimming through the last half of this book so a 3 Star rating may not be fair. I will say, the subject matter is interesting, hopeful and inspirational, but just not what I expected........(I'm actually not sure what I expected)

Number One: I do agree wholeheartedly with the author's definition of Goodbye Forever......."Death's arrival of a loved one is just sheer, total and absolute desolation." It smacks you right in the face.....or it did me.

Number Two: I really liked this statement......"If you knew, really knew that your past loved ones were right around the corner and you'd see them very soon, wouldn't that change everything? Then let it. Rest assured that in love of the universe, they are now alive, well and......perhaps surprising to you......very busy. Their wish for you is to be the same on all three counts." (Nice)

Number Three: I totally agree with the bottom line.....life is Awesome and precious.....all of the time (for me)......even with all its difficult challenges.

Happy Bookreading to everyone in 2015!

[Peggy · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. How does he know
2. Too many words that say nothing.
3. Think positive
4. Do something
5. Don't waste time reading this book.

[AJourneyWithoutMap · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell YOU by Mike Dooley is a truly delightful book that many of us who are wrestling with grief will enjoy. Insightful, philosophical yet fun and witty, and so comprehensively perceptive and enjoyable, this book will change your perception of death, grief and life itself, and help you to see more beauty and more love.

You will enjoy the way author Mike Dooley shares how loved ones who have gone before us are trying to reach out to us. Through stories Dooley shares their experiences, and how life will be like in the after-life. This is a book that should wake us up from our deep slumber and realize that our loved ones are in a wonderful place where there is no pain or fear or all the negative things to which we are so accustomed to in this world.

Containing ten delightful chapters based on the ten things our loved ones who have gone before us would like to tell us, you will enjoy this book if you are willing to learn the lessons they have to tell us:
-Love is the way; truth is the path
-Your old pets are as crazy as ever
-Life is more than fair
-Heaven is going to blow your mind
-Your dreams really can come true
-We’re sorry for any pain we caused
-You’re not ready
-We were ready
-There’s no such thing as a devil or hell
-We’re not dead

[Cynthia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is perhaps the WORST book ever written. It is such drivel & stupidity on paper. It's completely unsupported fiction, and I can't believe that it was published as a mind-body-spirit non-fiction book. In fact, he gives no supporting evidence for anything that he writes. I'd give this book ZERO stars if it were allowed. In fact, I'd give it negative stars for being such a total & complete waste of my time & money!! Truly--ten sad faces for this book.

[Michele Harrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE : IF THIS BOOK IS OF INTEREST, I JUST GOT AN EMAIL FROM MIKE TELLING ME "Hay House just notified me that once again for a limited time, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBook are offering the download of my new book, The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell YOU, for $1.99 (92% off)! This deal is scheduled to end any day now, and the price will return to normal. Thought you might like to know!" Received 9th April 2015 - great bargain if you fancy reading this gem! Mx

Simple fact is, I was always going to love this book. I love my daily TUT emails (or Thoughts from the Universe) that Mike Dooley sends me each day. They are uplifting, inspiring and most importantly - they remind me of my own power over my life. This book is a very fun, yet also serious look, at how WE each create our own reality. Many hate this idea - imagine losing any 'card' you can pull to play the victim. Imagine, even when you cannot begin to accept that you drew certain things into your life - being able to step into ideas that are so much bigger than our small selves, so much vaster than this small, short lived, finite 'time' we are here in 'this' body, and the perfection of everything becomes something quite magnificent. Even the stuff that seems hard. But best of all, is the immediacy of our ability to CHANGE our reality, in an instant. Does the universe literally conspire to move everything to meet my truest beliefs - yes. But even better, my own brain can change just as instantly to react to things in an entirely different way, to question what I actually 'believe' and if it serves me better - change that!. By simply changing the way we think - about anything. To see things in a way that no longer allows the labelling of 'good' or 'bad'. This changes my perspective of everything (and everyone). It's a very beautiful experience!

Call me woo-woo (plenty do) but I truly believe a change is taking place throughout humanity. And we are taking our power back. The power to choose love and happiness, over fear and victimhood. And what we can do with that is truly beautiful. There was a profound peace to be found in this book. It was like the ideas that I have never quite been able to articulate, but that I believe are true - were laid down for me, clearly, concisely - and I felt ecstatic and relieved all at once.

I got the strongest sense that there is never just one chance. There are two, or a million chances - however many you need. Trust this - you will never be too late. But with that comes this insane, yet exciting responsibility. Because, if you no longer have to be - why be late at all? You can catch this ride to a truly beautiful life RIGHT NOW. Get on board. Is this proven scientific fact? Of course not - but what is that you truly believe in. I'd say, read this, and trust what your heart tells you. Because THAT is exactly where you need to be right now, in this moment of time. How you create your next moment - well .... that's entirely up to you!

[Jennifer England · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love.....love.....easy read that says a lot!

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge synchronicity for me with this book, which is just one of the reasons I loved it. I had been driving myself crazy one weekend with an issue I've had with a friend for years. I needed a much higher perspective to get me out of the horrible feelings I've had for years. I went on and on about it with my husband one night, and then I did again the next day at lunch. Right after lunch, I sat down and started reading where I left off in the middle of a page (something I rarely do - usually stop at a chapter or top of a page), and the words I started reading were the exact perspective to erase this long-standing, seemingly impossible internal issue. It was so specific and was talking right to me. It wasn't any general forgiveness, blah, blah, blah stuff that I've read a million times and hasn't done anything for me in regard to this specific situation. This book solved it for me. Like I said, this is just one reason I loved it. The rest of the book was amazing and super inspiring too. It's not really anything I hadn't heard before, but it was just written so well, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Oh and HUGE kudos to Mike Dooley in the chapter on animals suggesting that people leave them off their plate after asking themselves if it's truly necessary to eat them at this meal.

[Ladory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just returned from a trip with Mike Dooley. I had not had much experience with him or his writings before, but my sister, who was with me, is a follower. He's a very humble, ordinary, down-to-earth guy with massive spiritual connections and knowledge! He also has a terrific sense of humor. A fellow traveler won this book in one of Mike's little quizzes on the trip. Since she already had a copy, she gave one to me.

This is a phenomenal book, IMHO. I could hardly put it down. It really spoke to me because it is in accord with all I have learned by going within in meditation intensives. It was an affirmation to me that I'm not the only one to know certain things. This book provides an alternative interpretation of what happens when we die and it's a very empowering, joyful interpretation. I bought 3 copies to give to senior friends and will probably be buying more for others. I highly recommend reading this book!

[Mary Lou · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading the first several pages, I suspected this guy might be a kook. Then I skimmed through the rest of the book and confirmed my suspicions. New age bunk. That over 900 people have given this an average rating of 4 stars causes me great concern for society.

[Ines Dumitriu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Yeah, as much as it seriously risks all credibility, you deserve the full truth: if you want unicorns, you get unicorns."

[Connie Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning of the book, I had no idea who this man was, what his credentials were, was he a medium, did he really talk to the dead or WHAT? So that sort of threw me off for the rest of the book. I did not know what to expect or believe if what he was saying were true. Am I correct, then, in reading about the author that he took his information from several other books and reinterpreted them in his own words? There was a great amount of information about "manifesting" what you desire your life to be. Then, in the "About the author" section, It said he helped work on "The Secret". No wonder......so if we focus on good it will truly happen? Is it pie in the sky? I admit, I have a very open mind, and give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I am a humongous HAY HOUSE fan for as long as I can remember. They wouldn't fail their readers. They are about the most credible publisher out there. So, I believe what he says.

He really brought the message home: IT IS ALL ABOUT LOVE. We are all one, little pieces of that one, but together we make up "GOD". Those who have crossed over have been trying to tell us that forever. But, they said we couldn't understand it. But, with the veil getting thinner and thinner, we may all be able to talk with if not see our loved ones on the other side. I do believe that Mike Dooley prepared us really well on what it is that we need to be focusing on while we are stuck in this schoolhouse of life. And, it has it's good times as well as bad times. I am going to reread this book, and buy some for those I know who could use some sound advice and cheering up. I loved this book. I only wish I knew in advance about Mike Dooley. He is an excellent orator (it did not feel like I was reading, but that he was in hyper mode up on a stage giving us a lecture). That was great!

I was allowed to read this book from Hay House and NetGalley so that I could give my honest review.

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't agree with everything that Mike writes in his books. But, he always seems sincere, well-meaning, and has the guts to put his thoughts on paper for the whole world to examine. I've read a couple of his works now like Notes from the Universe and his message is getting a bit repetitive. I also thought that he was channeling folks in this, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Some of it rings true though. I suppose you'll have to sift through it yourself and decide what's right and real for you.

[Nita Bandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Common sense

Just a bunch of works. Common sense really! I didn't learn anything new from this book. Total waste of time.

[Blythe Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many of the similar books I’ve been reading, I found this a mixed bag. There are some interesting ideas that I liked - the mostly positive outlook on humanity and our purpose, for example. However, I think it is absolutely drenched in white privilege. My favorite had to be when he suggested that if you want money, you might want to think about getting a job. Oh, is THAT what you do? I also found him quite dismissive of grief. To be sad is to miss the gift, he says. Oh okay. I’ll just put a smile on my face then. That whole world is way more complicated than he understands. Has he never seen Inside Out? Where memories are tinged with joy and sadness? Apparently not.

[Petra Mučnjak · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book because it is yet another link in the chain of disappointments of books labeled as afterlife literature, only to come out to being self-help books for the grieving. There were no descriptions of NDE accounts, no meeting up with loved ones on the Other Side, and receiving words of comfort and promises of eternity. Instead, all that the reader is presented with is a boring, second-hand litany of "what our deceased loved ones would want us to know".
A waste of time.

[Tim Larison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complementary copy of this book from Hay House for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

What happens to us after we die? If you are at all curious about this subject, as I am, you may want to read Mike Dooley’s new book, “The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell You”.

The skeptic in me immediately questioned where Dooley was coming from. “Does Mike Dooley REALLY talk to dead people, or are the dialogs with the deceased in the book just something he made up?” I wondered. I put that question aside and found solid advice for living in the book’s 240 pages.

Dooley starts off to say we don’t really die, and that this life’s purpose is to teach you lessons. After death, he says, “loving guides soon appear, glowing, radiant, and joyful. They orient you and answer your questions. They teach you. Remind you. Love you. Show you. Everything becomes clearer. You remember the hopes and intentions of your recent life and why you chose it.” I liked Dooley’s emphasis on love. Maybe, just maybe, all the insecurities and failings we feel in this life will be consumed after death in an ocean of unconditional love. “They (the dead) are elated to find that not only are they immortal, but they’re approved of, appreciated, forgiven, and adored, just exactly as they are,” Dooley writes. “If only, they solemnly think to themselves, I’d known this while living … how different things might have been.”

Dooley’s message of love after death is similar to what I have read in “near death” experience books – first hand accounts of people who have glimpsed the other side – like Anita Moorjani in Dying to Be Me, and Eben Alexander in Proof of Heaven. I found these autobiographies more compelling and believable than Dooley’s book. And from an outsider’s perspective on death, I liked Penny Satori’s The Wisdom of Near Death Experiences better for a more detailed, scientific study of the topic.

Nevertheless, Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell You still had an impact on me. “The dead, with their advantage of perspective, see love everywhere,” he writes. I want that perspective, too, and for a time I had it when reading Dooley’s book. How quickly I forget, though. I’ll revisit the pages of Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell You next time I need a reminder of the love that is here for me now.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of the book is that we, and all of creation, are part of the living God. Each lifetime is devoted to learning. We can die and choose to come back to learn the things we left unfinished, or couldn't face in this life time.

This is an interesting premise and Mike Dooley makes a good case for it. His case is not all that different from that made by some of the major philosophers and religions. In fact, the early chapters read much like philosophy.

I'm not sure I believe all that Dooley says, but some of his ideas are beyond question. We all have the power to affect our own lives in the here and now. We don't have to be victims. If we see ourselves as powerful, we will be able to overcome obstacles. Trials are not to break us. Trials are to show us that we can over come adversity.

One of his major themes is that the way we see ourselves is withing in our power to change. This is a good message. Whether you believe the dead have seen this and are giving you insight, or whether this rings with truth for today, it's an excellent message.

The book is comprised of a number of chapters on topics such as the idea that dead people have moved on to another reality, dreams can come true, dead people were ready to go, but we, the living, may not be, and life is more than fair. Each chapter ends with a letter from a dead person to someone dear to them. Most of the letters are from young people, but they ring true for people at any age.

I enjoyed the book. I'm not sure the dead are telling us these things, but certainly the premises make sense. We do make our own reality by the way we deal with the adversities and successes that come our way. I recommend the book. It will give you a lift.

I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of delightful surprises as Dooley shares the ways in which loved ones who have passed from this life into the next try to reach out and talk to us. The sense of humor and yes, joy, that are found throughout this book are uplifting and provided a welcome respite from the grief I have felt since several family members passed in quick succession.

Sharing stories about the messages that spirits want to share with us about their new reality, Dooley tells not only the stories but the experiences of the departed. It is a very pleasant parallel world that one finds in this book and one that made me think differently about the after-life.

My favorite take away message is the radiant love found on the other side. No more fears, pain, or any of the thoughts that can be so disturbing in this world -- all replaced with light and love -- which the dead try very hard to communicate to us.

After reading this book I am more receptive to signs that my loved ones are trying to reach me and that is a very pleasant way to think. The sense of humor that runs through this book made me smile and that, in and of itself, is reason enough to read this book. Especially for those wrestling with grief.

[Cheryl Adkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

If it were possible to give negative stars then this book rates 10 of them. I have never read a book that I dislike as intensely as I do this one.
The author claims that life is fair and that if we are suffering it is because we willed it on ourselves. Equally he claims that when we realize we deserve more and better we can will ourselves a better life, a life of ease, comfort, and enough money. This facetious claim is demeaning and insulting to millions of people on this planet.
If we are to belive his claim then we have to believe that millions of people living in abject poverty, starving because of drought and famine, soldiers guns aimed at them constantly, woman, young girls and often boys being raped for sport and entertainment have willed this upon themselves and could will it away if they so chose to acquire a more positive mindset. This claim means that babies born into a family where they are abused, starved, sexually molested, and tortured brought this condition upon themselves.
This author fails to grasp the privelege that he possesses to have been born in a time and place to never have known true need, real suffering and overlooks those who are not so priveleged.
This book is demeaning, insulting, facetious, and just plain junk.

[Galen Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t want to give this book one star because I like the ideas in it to a certain extent. However I have to say that the writer lost me in so many places, and I would rather echo what Other people have said in that it is a work of fiction. For example he ends each chapter with a made up letter from a fictional character. He writes as though he is God himself, which I find equally baffling and hard to digest. The ideas are an amalgamation of Buddhism and new age and dismisses Christianity in pretty broad strokes and also doesn’t match with common experiences of near death. But, if you are grieving... then do read it. If you’re spiritually open it could provide comfort

[Olwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just love Mike Dooley's humorous and oh so readable narrative. He manages to explain the law of attraction and manifestation in such an easily understood way.

[Carol Blaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book full of answers to life-long questions like, "Why Are We Here?". Read it more than once to get the most from this one!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth

Lots of concepts presented here and it resonates deeply with my own experiences:) Thank you Mike! I could see this book being read aloud to offer comfort to others.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more of Mike Dooley now.

[Francis Fuiava · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was all over the place and I couldn't take it seriously.

[AnnetteW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Dooley doesn't always write or talk about things you've never heard of before but he does take known concepts and make them fresh and more practical. He also has a unique way of thinking deeply about the big questions of life and relaying them to his readers in an easy to understand and quite amusing manner. He helps you turn the mystical into a realistic, day to day guide of how to navigate the jungles of time and space. He is also one of the few spiritual teachers out there, to my knowledge, who has confronted head on the extreme global challenges of 2020 from the pandemic to the Black Lives Matter protests. So many teachers have remained silent or purely esoterical in their responses to the crises but Mike has not shied away from addressing people's very real fears and anxieties and questions and in doing so, has made life a lot easier at this time for a lot of people. While this book was written in 2014, the concepts are timeless and particularly helpful at the moment.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I REALLY wanted to love this... but I didn’t. I LOVED Mike’s ‘Manifesting Change’ and was hoping for some similar a-ha moments from this....

Unfortunately, I found it a little repetitive of the spiritual ideas I had already formed from Manifesting Change. We are all god, of pure love, here on Earth to complete some kind of chosen challenge, our thoughts become things, time is an illusion, we are here to choose fun things to do and shouldn’t feel guilty.

I guess it was the “death” side of this book I struggled to grapple with, which is probably due to my own spiritual journey. May not have been the best book for me with where I am currently at. In saying that, I did really enjoy the chapter on pets!

I will likely revisit Mike Dooley in the future. I did come across ‘Manifesting Change’ on the side of the road. Surely there’s something in that, right?!

[Dilyana Domuschieva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even if I agree with most statements in the book, I did not like the book.
I tried to read through the first half, but found it too wordy, too explanatory, unnecessarily lengthy in its justifications...I skimmed through the second part and only read the letters.
I expected that it will give a positive, less scientific and lighter view to what Michael Newton has written about (a more serious and scientifically backed book on th same topic). But I was disappointed. The book is not what I expected.

I would recommend it to younger readers who have never read anything on the topic. I am pretty sure that it will help them go through this difficult moment.
For people that have thought and read on the topic or other spiritual topics, even if not deeply and extensively - I would not recommend the book.

[Mary Dravis-Parrish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book touched me in ways that other books about life and being spiritual have not. Bringing in the element of what those who have gone before us know and would like us to know, connected to me. Like many, I too, have a desire to know what my loved ones who have passed on know. Mike Dooley brings in his own personality in this writing, one of lightness and even somewhat humorous. It helps me see how trying to fit into this reality of mine, can sometimes be pretty funny. The fact that "Thoughts become things" and the power each of us have to manifest what we desire most in life is a simple concept, yet gets complicated when we begin to see how deep-rooted beliefs and patterns interfere with being able to create the life that we all yearn to live. I especially enjoyed the last chapter on love.