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You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Life-Changing Lessons from Heaven
For fans of TLC’s Long Island Medium and anyone interested in the big questions of life, death, and finding out what’s important in between, New York Times bestselling author and medium Theresa Caputo shares the insights and lessons she’s learned through her exceptional gift of communicating with the dead.
In her first book, There’s More to Life Than This , Theresa shared how she discovered her gift and her many encounters with Spirit. Now, in You Can’t Make This Stuff Up , Theresa imparts the life-changing wisdom she’s received from Spirit and client readings.
Each chapter incorporates a powerful lesson that is made real by Theresa’s witty and wise insights. She shares moving client stories and fascinating behind-the-scenes tales from her life and hit reality show to help people find peace and closure and to better understand the spiritual world. With lessons revolving around themes such as choice, faith, fear, gratitude, healing, surrender, relationships, compassion, and living each day to the fullest, the book also includes information from Theresa about spiritual concepts like Angels, Heaven, signs, miracles, intuition, dreams, and God.
These compelling and healing messages will guide readers toward happier lives by focusing on what really matters to their souls.
In her first book, There’s More to Life Than This , Theresa shared how she discovered her gift and her many encounters with Spirit. Now, in You Can’t Make This Stuff Up , Theresa imparts the life-changing wisdom she’s received from Spirit and client readings.
Each chapter incorporates a powerful lesson that is made real by Theresa’s witty and wise insights. She shares moving client stories and fascinating behind-the-scenes tales from her life and hit reality show to help people find peace and closure and to better understand the spiritual world. With lessons revolving around themes such as choice, faith, fear, gratitude, healing, surrender, relationships, compassion, and living each day to the fullest, the book also includes information from Theresa about spiritual concepts like Angels, Heaven, signs, miracles, intuition, dreams, and God.
These compelling and healing messages will guide readers toward happier lives by focusing on what really matters to their souls.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2014
315 people are currently reading
1027 people want to read
About the author
Theresa Caputo
11 books164 followersTheresa Caputo was born and raised on Long Island and lives there with her husband and two children. She is the star of Long Island Medium, which airs on TLC. After suffering anxiety for most of her life, Theresa met with a spiritual adviser who helped her realize her ability to communicate with Spirit. Theresa has been a practicing medium for more than ten years and is a certified medium with the Forever Family Foundation. Her first two books, There's More to Life Than This and You Can't Make This Stuff Up, became instant New York Times bestsellers. She has appeared on Good Morning America, The View, The Dr. Oz Show, and Ellen and has helped countless people heal and find the closure to embrace life without their loved ones. For more, please visit TheresaCaputo.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
December 31, 2014
Aah, Theresa.. I love ya :) Your shows and stories never fail to make laugh/cry. It's very inspiring to see your messages help so many people. My mom and I send you lots of love and hugs :).
If I'd read this in hardcover format, I might have read it faster but I got more of my experience I think hearing it in Theresa's voice... it was as if we were just sitting down with her and she's just talking to ya while your sitting there with cup of hot cocoa/coffee/orange juice or whatever, soaking it all in :)
While I enjoyed this book, I didn't LOVE it... not as much as her other one. Some of the lessons hit close to home to me and made me think and released a tension/some burden off my shoulders, knowing there's a bigger plan (even though I may not like how it goes about)... I'm still actually thinking about a couple things, it may take me awhile before I can feel ready for one of the lessons mentioned but I feel a sort of calm in a way about it.. if you know what I mean.
Where was I? Oh yeah... The format of the book is a good idea, going through each lesson and discussing it, there's some stories sprinkled in between of a few of Theresa's friends and readings like before, but while they are powerful stories... I dunno, I just wasn't AS invested in the book as I thought I would be. Nothing to with Theresa, just.. not as moved by it I guess?
The afterword by her co-author was very moving and she seems like a nice person, little awkward in her narration but how many of us would be comfortable reading for an audiobook or part of one at first really?
It's a wonderful book all in all though, take a chance on it I say :)
Happy reading!
If I'd read this in hardcover format, I might have read it faster but I got more of my experience I think hearing it in Theresa's voice... it was as if we were just sitting down with her and she's just talking to ya while your sitting there with cup of hot cocoa/coffee/orange juice or whatever, soaking it all in :)
While I enjoyed this book, I didn't LOVE it... not as much as her other one. Some of the lessons hit close to home to me and made me think and released a tension/some burden off my shoulders, knowing there's a bigger plan (even though I may not like how it goes about)... I'm still actually thinking about a couple things, it may take me awhile before I can feel ready for one of the lessons mentioned but I feel a sort of calm in a way about it.. if you know what I mean.
Where was I? Oh yeah... The format of the book is a good idea, going through each lesson and discussing it, there's some stories sprinkled in between of a few of Theresa's friends and readings like before, but while they are powerful stories... I dunno, I just wasn't AS invested in the book as I thought I would be. Nothing to with Theresa, just.. not as moved by it I guess?
The afterword by her co-author was very moving and she seems like a nice person, little awkward in her narration but how many of us would be comfortable reading for an audiobook or part of one at first really?
It's a wonderful book all in all though, take a chance on it I say :)
Happy reading!
October 6, 2014
I just love Theresa Caputo! In her first book she wrote about her gift of speaking to the dead, and in this book she gives us life lessons from Spirit. It is a fun and inspiring read, with many suggestions for how you should live better through faith even in the tough times.
October 24, 2014
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as her last book. I found this a bit dense and difficult to follow (could only read it in small chunks) but I did enjoy it and found it thought-provoking. I may need to re-read this one to really let it sink in.
October 12, 2014
Great life advice, inspirational stories ...and she answers a lot of commonly asked questions.
Theresa Caputo shares amazing stories and life lessons we can ALL benefit from. Even if you are a non-believer, you can still learn sooo much from this book. Theresa incorporates her sense of humor into everything she does so I was happy to see that she also talked about it in Chapter 4 – “Laughter is no Joke”. Humor is something we could all use a little more of these days. And, as an author myself, I also try to incorporate it into everything I write.
I also loved the way the co-writer, Kristina Grish added in her experiences and what she learned while writing this book. It’s the grand finale to yet another great book from Theresa Caputo. Great job ladies!
Highly recommend!
Theresa Caputo shares amazing stories and life lessons we can ALL benefit from. Even if you are a non-believer, you can still learn sooo much from this book. Theresa incorporates her sense of humor into everything she does so I was happy to see that she also talked about it in Chapter 4 – “Laughter is no Joke”. Humor is something we could all use a little more of these days. And, as an author myself, I also try to incorporate it into everything I write.
I also loved the way the co-writer, Kristina Grish added in her experiences and what she learned while writing this book. It’s the grand finale to yet another great book from Theresa Caputo. Great job ladies!
Highly recommend!
November 10, 2014
Theresa Caputo's voice and personality come shining through in this book. However, I felt as though this was just a transcribed casual conversation that Theresa might have had with someone, not really a deep analytical presentation as a book. It was difficult for me to follow all of what was presented because she frequently stated "as you remember from the first book". Unfortunately I haven't read the first book. So I would recommend that you read the first book before reading this one. I think that Theresa has her heart in the right place helping all of these people. I just can't agree with all of her concepts of the spiritual side of things.
January 18, 2015
Life changing lessons from heaven. Beautifully written with the obvious good intentions of helping people navigate through their own life lessons. Simple truths with the foundation of God. I loved how she differentiated God from religion. God being the one and only creator and religion being a set of principles and practices created to serve and worship God. Really got a lot out of this book. :)
April 22, 2015
Started reading this book with no expectations. While it will not rate as classic literature, I found it interesting and insightful. There are a lot of life lessons to be learned and many are documented here. Even if you don't believe in Mediums, I think you will enjoy this book.
December 3, 2015
I am very interested in paranormal - mediums. Lost me at God, Saints and Angels subjects, all those Catholic beliefs. I feel like I could have bought a better book for 12 dollars.
Oh well. This should be considered fiction.
Oh well. This should be considered fiction.
October 18, 2018
This book was kind of pointless. Everything in it is literally common sense. I thought it was going to talk more about her experiences with Spirits, but it didn’t hardly even address that. The focus was more on how to “think” per-say.
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October 31, 2014Meh. Kind of preachy. I just wanted stories about communicating with the dead.
September 15, 2018
I'm doing this review on an "as I go basis " currently I am 25% through the book .
I REALLY Like this author . She is funny . Tells jokes
" How do trees go on the internet ?- They log in! "
She is wise , street smart , good common sense , gives helpful advise on badly needed topics .
So I dont want to say anything negative about her so if she is reading this please don't get offended in what Im about to say - I have an extensive back ground in self realization by the process called dying while living by which living humans can take their soul through the so called "third eye" ( aka the eyecenter) which is also the center where you communicate with what you call "spirit ") --
Now I believe you are sincere when you say that you are communicating with all those soul's but what I think is really going on is that you are talking to your own higher self . You see , the self we manifest in this world is only a miniscule particle of who we really are but most of us are totally out of touch with who we really are but in reality we are wondrous beings among other things we are all knowing and all seeing and can also reads peoples minds to greater or lesser extent . So I think that teh info you are being fed is from your higher self ( your higher mind -either the anda mind or brahmanda mind) and not from these individual spiritual entities --although it may definitely assume the forms and claim to be these entities and give you accurate information regarding them to relay on to the client . The reason I say this is because in the vast majority of cases the soul of a dying person enter the womb of their next mother after reporting to the king Judge (Dharam Rai) so within hours of dying they are already incorporate and unable to communicate with you at once .
The only exceptions are those who have lived very pure good lives and those who have either lived very evil lives or those who commited suicide -the former go to heaven the later go to hell for a temporary stay before being reborn and neither would be able to communicate with you from heaven or hell . The only other category are earth bound spirits -these are soul with very low strong worldly desires -before they go to the king judge they wander this earth to peep at sex events or take revenge on people they hate - or haunt a house they loved etc these are the only ones a spiritualist would be able to contact or would that be able to contact a spiritualist and they would not likely be able to give sage advise like you give therefore I think that everything is being projected to you from your own higher mind ( for more information see The Path of The Master's ( Chapter on Mind) By Dr Julian P Johnson ) Remember your own high mind is vastly more good and full of light and "abilities " than your worldly mind so its is not a negligible thing to be in touch with your higher mind .
But your true self is higher still therefore do not think that your higher mind is God or spirit but go to a God man and learn how to contact spirit and follow it back to God which is your true self.
So having stated my one ( so far ) real disagreement with this book . I would like to say that I LOVE THIS BOOK so far . The author has a great personality . She is a natural born show person and comedian remisinet of Jennifer Lawrence or Emma Stone when they are on a roll . She's just a friendly ,wise, positive person who is tons of fun and has this special ability. At this point I really do like her enormously . I think she's playful , stupendous and very human : ) ^^
(this end's my comments with 25% read )
OK so I made it to 50% and quit . I just could not handle listening to it of more than 5 minutes and I needed the room on my mp3 . I'm not sure why I no longer found it enjoyable . Maybe I was working too hard and needed something more fun ?
I REALLY Like this author . She is funny . Tells jokes
" How do trees go on the internet ?- They log in! "
She is wise , street smart , good common sense , gives helpful advise on badly needed topics .
So I dont want to say anything negative about her so if she is reading this please don't get offended in what Im about to say - I have an extensive back ground in self realization by the process called dying while living by which living humans can take their soul through the so called "third eye" ( aka the eyecenter) which is also the center where you communicate with what you call "spirit ") --
Now I believe you are sincere when you say that you are communicating with all those soul's but what I think is really going on is that you are talking to your own higher self . You see , the self we manifest in this world is only a miniscule particle of who we really are but most of us are totally out of touch with who we really are but in reality we are wondrous beings among other things we are all knowing and all seeing and can also reads peoples minds to greater or lesser extent . So I think that teh info you are being fed is from your higher self ( your higher mind -either the anda mind or brahmanda mind) and not from these individual spiritual entities --although it may definitely assume the forms and claim to be these entities and give you accurate information regarding them to relay on to the client . The reason I say this is because in the vast majority of cases the soul of a dying person enter the womb of their next mother after reporting to the king Judge (Dharam Rai) so within hours of dying they are already incorporate and unable to communicate with you at once .
The only exceptions are those who have lived very pure good lives and those who have either lived very evil lives or those who commited suicide -the former go to heaven the later go to hell for a temporary stay before being reborn and neither would be able to communicate with you from heaven or hell . The only other category are earth bound spirits -these are soul with very low strong worldly desires -before they go to the king judge they wander this earth to peep at sex events or take revenge on people they hate - or haunt a house they loved etc these are the only ones a spiritualist would be able to contact or would that be able to contact a spiritualist and they would not likely be able to give sage advise like you give therefore I think that everything is being projected to you from your own higher mind ( for more information see The Path of The Master's ( Chapter on Mind) By Dr Julian P Johnson ) Remember your own high mind is vastly more good and full of light and "abilities " than your worldly mind so its is not a negligible thing to be in touch with your higher mind .
But your true self is higher still therefore do not think that your higher mind is God or spirit but go to a God man and learn how to contact spirit and follow it back to God which is your true self.
So having stated my one ( so far ) real disagreement with this book . I would like to say that I LOVE THIS BOOK so far . The author has a great personality . She is a natural born show person and comedian remisinet of Jennifer Lawrence or Emma Stone when they are on a roll . She's just a friendly ,wise, positive person who is tons of fun and has this special ability. At this point I really do like her enormously . I think she's playful , stupendous and very human : ) ^^
(this end's my comments with 25% read )
OK so I made it to 50% and quit . I just could not handle listening to it of more than 5 minutes and I needed the room on my mp3 . I'm not sure why I no longer found it enjoyable . Maybe I was working too hard and needed something more fun ?
April 3, 2015
It is amazing how certain books have always been put in my path at the "right" time. I bought this and one of her other books at the same time. The first one I sped through and couldn't put down! This one I found myself going back, reading passages over again and sharing them with friends and family. It is a beautifully written book with faith and family on every page. I enjoyed the peeks into the professional side of Theresa's life but also appreciated the fact that she isn't afraid to speak her faith. She makes it a part of everything she does while at the same time having a sense of humor about her unusual gift.
I have said it before and I will say it again: I would love to sit and talk to her. Not for a reading (although if Spirit comes through...)but just having a glass of lemonade on my porch with one of the funniest most down to earth authors I have ever read.
I have said it before and I will say it again: I would love to sit and talk to her. Not for a reading (although if Spirit comes through...)but just having a glass of lemonade on my porch with one of the funniest most down to earth authors I have ever read.
March 2, 2015
Didn't like it as much as I had hoped but was still good. Still want to know a lot more about how Theresa came to grips with her gift but maybe I should read her previous book. I enjoyed the good and consistent (with other philosophies) messages delivered by Theresa but I guess maybe felt a little preachy after awhile, like a self-help book. Of course I loved the tidbits about how things work on the other side, but was hoping for more of that content.
October 25, 2014
I love Theresa and her show - never miss an episode. I also loved her first book because it was filled with her experiences and readings. I was anticipating this book would have more spirit encounters in it than it did; really, this book felt more "preachy" to me. I guess I wasn't expecting that, so I was disappointed in the structure of the book.
January 26, 2017
I really wanted to like this book because I love Theresa's personality, TV show, and her live shows. I was hoping this book would reference more experiences and stories from reading her clients. However, the book is filled with a lot of common sense life lessons that feel a little on the preachy side. Don't waste your time reading this if you are expecting stories from her readings.
December 23, 2014
I enjoyed this book but not as much as her first. There were lots of great life lessons but less examples from her readings than I was expecting. I really enjoyed the information on signs though. You can really hear her voice and wit throughout which makes it more enjoyable.
February 3, 2020
Beautiful
Beautifully written and amazingly inspirational. Great words of advice for anyone in need of spiritual guidance, reassurance and growth. Theresa never fails to help anyone through her words.
Beautifully written and amazingly inspirational. Great words of advice for anyone in need of spiritual guidance, reassurance and growth. Theresa never fails to help anyone through her words.
January 14, 2015
Better than I expected, though I've really enjoyed her TV show. This book has lots of wisdom and inspiration. Good to pick up anytime one needs a lift. I rented it at the library, but plan on buying a copy to keep on my shelf.
Read
November 3, 2015I cant even give this book one star. I read it for a book club.
March 9, 2016
Had a hard time focusing on this book. Never really caught my attention.
December 29, 2022
I love Theresa Caputo, I watched Long Island Medium all the time when I was younger, got a reading from her in middle school, and read her first book in middle school so I was super excited when I found this book. My main take away from this book was how to live your life in a way that makes your soul feel good. This includes having a “no regrets” mindset, positive thinking, and being accepting of spirituality. I love how she brings in her own experiences as well as her experiences from reading others to share her lessons, especially when going through the stages of grief.
November 6, 2025
These books continually help me with my grief. Every time I pick it up, it feels like she’s speaking directly to my current thoughts and feelings. She also talks a lot about gratitude and her books helped me think more positively even in sadness.
I’m so grateful for her!
I’m so grateful for her!
Read
February 10, 2021Made it to page 56. Not feeling it.
August 25, 2017
*2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book with a subtitle*
Whereas I have never seen this show and know nothing about Theresa Caputo, I am not completely convinced from reading this book alone that she without a doubt communicates with spirits on the Other Side. That being said, there are still some great lessons in this book reinforcing how important it is to be a kind person and to act from love and not fear. Additionally, this book made me feel a sliver of peace in a very tumultuous time in my life, and I feel like if ever I was going to read this book, now was the perfect time.
She explains in several chapters how she believes those in our spirit circle (loved ones, friends who have passed) send us signs from the Other Side to let us know they are OK and to let us know they are still with us albeit not physically. Had I not experienced this firsthand now and in the past, I would have been like, "yeah right!". In one of the chapters she reinforces that when you need someone, you just need to ask for them. I really needed someone, so I asked. On the VERY NEXT PAGE was a reference to a song my grandmother used to sing me when I was a little girl which I thought was a little too much of a coincidence (I mean ask and ye shall receive... that was like 5 seconds later). Later that evening, while I'm wondering if that was the sign I was meant to see, I saw another blatant one of an iris (way out of season by now) twice in the same show I was watching on TV. Not only was it there (twice) but it was actually written out I-R-I-S as if to say, "you can't miss this one!"
The point is, whether this is bullshit or not, the awareness of all of this totally turned me around and made me feel like if this is real, if there is a chance this is real, then I am surrounded by more love than I ever could have imagined. 4 stars for possibility.
Whereas I have never seen this show and know nothing about Theresa Caputo, I am not completely convinced from reading this book alone that she without a doubt communicates with spirits on the Other Side. That being said, there are still some great lessons in this book reinforcing how important it is to be a kind person and to act from love and not fear. Additionally, this book made me feel a sliver of peace in a very tumultuous time in my life, and I feel like if ever I was going to read this book, now was the perfect time.
She explains in several chapters how she believes those in our spirit circle (loved ones, friends who have passed) send us signs from the Other Side to let us know they are OK and to let us know they are still with us albeit not physically. Had I not experienced this firsthand now and in the past, I would have been like, "yeah right!". In one of the chapters she reinforces that when you need someone, you just need to ask for them. I really needed someone, so I asked. On the VERY NEXT PAGE was a reference to a song my grandmother used to sing me when I was a little girl which I thought was a little too much of a coincidence (I mean ask and ye shall receive... that was like 5 seconds later). Later that evening, while I'm wondering if that was the sign I was meant to see, I saw another blatant one of an iris (way out of season by now) twice in the same show I was watching on TV. Not only was it there (twice) but it was actually written out I-R-I-S as if to say, "you can't miss this one!"
The point is, whether this is bullshit or not, the awareness of all of this totally turned me around and made me feel like if this is real, if there is a chance this is real, then I am surrounded by more love than I ever could have imagined. 4 stars for possibility.
August 15, 2017
I LOVE Theresa Caputo! I went to a live show of hers and it was amazing and so are all 3 of her books! she's funny, down to earth, but also takes her job very seriously. I was grateful that my departed son actually came through during her show! This is a venue of I don't know...a thousand people or more and she can only do so many in the couple hours. I have never been so lucky and thankful. ANY skeptic out there should be ashamed. This woman actually physically FEELS how these souls passed to the other side. You know what she goes through in a night physically and mentally just to bring peace to as many people as she can? I can't imagine the torture she endures. Her books are great. If you know Theresa and how she talks with that Long Island accent and her personality, you can just hear her and see her saying the things in the book as if she were reading it. As a matter of fact, I purchased her audible versions and listen at night to sooth myself to sleep. She brings so much peace to me and makes feel like my son really IS with me and he's ok. She told me he loved taking his little sister kayaking, about signs he sent, and many other things nobody else knew or could find out via internet! She is simply amazing and would give my right arm to spend more time with her....and I am right handed!
June 15, 2017
I enjoyed this book. In no nonsense fashion, Theresa Caputo demystifies angels and the after life. Her reaffirming optimism is both refreshing and infectious. As you read her book, layers of what separates and complicates life, disappear and the basic rules of humanity take its place. She urges society to strip away its cynicism, do the right thing and let our "inner" angel glow and grow. Yes, we all have a bit of stardust in our hearts, that grows stronger as we learn to accept it and move in the right direction. She makes sense. I have seen Theresa, had a reading, and it changed my life. If goodness is an energy, then Theresa is filled with it. This book may have opened my eyes about a lot of things, but more importantly, it healed my heart.
February 25, 2015
I absolutely loved "There's More to Life Than This", Theresa's first book. It was packed full of interesting spiritual insights and stories. I just liked this one. It was more of a self-help book, with a few stories to back it up. Her insights were advice that she felt was from spirit, which I can't argue with in theory but I didn't feel it was any extremely life-changing advice, just the general things you would imagine- learn how to forgive, allow yourself to heal, live life to the fullest, etc.
I think I actually would have enjoyed the book more if I read it a chapter a day, instead of reading the whole thing in a few days time.
I think I actually would have enjoyed the book more if I read it a chapter a day, instead of reading the whole thing in a few days time.
May 16, 2018
What a wonderful and enlightening book. I love watching her show and wasn't sure how I felt about what her writing would look like (sorry for a pre-judgement Theresa!) but this book was PACKED with beauty and insight. I loved the lessons she listed as life lessons we should all aspire to achieve in this lifetime, our soul depends on it! But more than that, these lessons were based on a humanity that has been here for thousands of years and will be here for even more, so lets all try and be better humans by living our fullest lives!
May 15, 2016
While I am embarrassed to say that I read this book, I did as part of a class I was taking. The writing is horrible, the conclusions far too simple. I do not ascribe to the 'theology' of the book at all. Some of the concepts are clear and helpful, but the lack of depth blew me away. Unless you believe in reincarnation, readings from the other side, and don't mind bad humor or poor writing, don't read this book.
October 6, 2014
I do love Theresa Caputo. "Listen Theresa, take a break already!" You put out a book last year, this year, and with your shows and travel, you need a break.
Partly nebulous, but enjoyable. I liked the author note at the end also.
Partly nebulous, but enjoyable. I liked the author note at the end also.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews