If I had any doubts before, I certainly don't now. Very interesting and believable. I totally understand why Mr. Gilbert did, and felt the need to write this book and I empathize with his position. He's a better man for having done this not only for his own karma but also for Nichole and Ron.

This story may not be the complete truth, but it's probably the closest any account has ever come. All the explanations make sense, and it appears that the author is coming clean about a lot of his misdoings in helping OJ get away with murder.Is he trying to redeem himself or is he just out to make a buck? It's not clear. The book is definitely worth reading although consider buying it used so as not to put more money in the pocket of this author who should probably be in prison himself.

I didn't read any books about OJ. He did it, period. I was always pretty sure i knew why he did it, but this book clarify's why he really did, how he managed to do it, how it all came down and to me its as truthful a book as you can get. He spares NO one. His constant ambivalence is evident through-out the book, even now when he apologizes to the Goldman's he will still go through the reliving of the hate he felt for everyone outside of OJ's camp.
There is plenty new here, I didn't find any of the book to be redundant or self serving. The only problem i had with it of course was the distaste that today, even after all he professes to feel and have learned about himself as a human being, he has still held on to OJ memorabilia as if its the Holy Grail. It seems to me, if he is as sincere as he says, about being the person he was before Greed and illusion got to him, he'd donate all the things he still has hidden to the victims families, and forget about the March of dimes, how about Domestic abuse? But what can you expect from a guy who says that the only reason he finally came clean was
Not because OJ murdered two people ( he forgives him that)
Not Because OJ was a horrible father
Not Because OJ was a drug addict sex addict and narcissist
but because after all Mike Gilbert did for him, OJ threw HIM under the bus.
So, had OJ remained loyal to Mike , chances are his conscience would not have spoken so loudly.
Aside from my personal feelings, its a book worth reading because i think it rings with the truth of what was going on as horrendous as it all was and continues to be today.

I bought this Mike Gilbert Book because I had heard or read that the proceeds were going to charity. I saw that the charity was for the March of Dimes and was not all of the profits from this book. Just a third. If Mike Gilbert feels as bad as he says he does in this tell all book he should have also devoted the other two thirds of the profits to the Nicole Brown Foundation set-up by Nicole's Sister Denise and any Foundation set up by the Goldman family. A simple "I regret what I did and I am truly sorry for my part in this case" then he should not profit one cent from the sale of this book. That would make me believe that he has truly repented and is not looking to fill his pockets with Nicole's and Ron Goldman's blood. Think about it Mike... if the gloves have fit the outcome would have been much different. And we have you to thank for that!

I'm in the umpteenth read of this book (I doing my own work on OJ Simpson, to be published soon), and found Mr. Gilbert's book a necessary look into this horrific incident. This man went to hell and back writing this, not just for self-atonement, but to karmically clear up his wrongdoings. And he did an admirable job of it.

There were a few new pieces of information which gave a fuller picture of what this entire business was about. The hardest thing was to watch him sell his soul to values and ethics that weren't his own.

Perhaps the real message in this book, is to choose your heroes wisely. Heroes, however, will fall from grace at some point - if we put them up on a pedestal that is too high. What Mr. Gilbert found out was that his own soul was more important than OJ SImpson's - and reclaimed it back.

And therein, lies the betrayal. OJ couldn't handle that from anyone. He made himself the keeper of many souls - and wasn't worthy of that.

Mr. Gilbert, if you are reading this review, let me congratulate you on a well done job. You definitely did what God wanted you to do, writing it.

[...]
With that said; this was a very interesting book. It filled in a lot of blanks (about the case) for me and made a strong case for his (OJ's) guilt. Having been in a toxic relationships myself I can understand the feelings expressed and the actions taken. All in all it is sad and a total waste of the lives involved.

So I bought this book reading that "a portion of the proceeds will be going to charity" and have since found out the author is getting 80% for his confession. I think he should give all of the proceeds to the Goldmans' along with anything else he has of value. He blatantly states that he hid money from them for years and he should give up anything he has if he really is interested in making amends.
With that said; this was a very interesting book. It filled in a lot of blanks (about the case) for me and made a strong case for his (OJ's) guilt. Having been in a toxic relationships myself I can understand the feelings expressed and the actions taken. All in all it is sad and a total waste of the lives involved.

Mike Gilbert was on Dr. Phil the other day along with the Goldmans and he admitted he's getting 80% of the proceeds from this book and only 20% is going to a charity. He acted as though he knew the lie was there on the front cover of the book but said he didn't write that, someone else did.

People need to know the truth and he's obviously still a scumbag. I don't feel he has remorse or he wouldn't still be lying about making money on this book.

On Dr. Phil the other day he said OJ got millions for his autographs and that he hid OJ's money and got 20% of everything he hid for OJ in the last 14 years.

Columbian drug dealors? Golf balls chipped in the dark?
That's all over. Unless the author is making things up, we get a very believable scenario from O. J. Simpson's Lawyer - and he wasn't on the "Dream Team".
The book is interesting for reference as to motivation, timelines, Prosecution gaffes, etc. But there is plenty of detail of events following the Civil Trial: where's all that money due the victims' families - how much *can* O.J. realistically earn in one year at Memorabilia events?
When dialogue attributed to Simpson is read, you can hear O.J. - the writer makes it come alive. His italicized lines will give you chills - especailly if you heard the "9-1-1" tape with his voice in the background.
An undated letter written by Nicole is also provided. That in itself helps us form a picture of O.J. dressed like the character he played in "Frogman", standing outside Nicole's kitchen door, noticing that his ex-wife has shown him the ultimate disdain - she (reportedly) brandishes a kitchen knife. His raging, narcissistic brain couldn't assimilate that this woman fears him and must protect herself - even in self-defense it was enough for this violent man.

Anyone who has followed this story knows OJ did it and knows OJ got away with it. The question remained: how did he get away with it? This book fills in the details to the questions the public always wanted to know.

First off let's start with the author, Mike Gilbert. He puts himself up on the chopping block and rightly so. He did everything in his power to make certain his childhood idol, OJ, did not go to prison. He is not the only one. There are endless people in OJ's circle who did whatever they could to make sure he never went to prison and that his money and assets were carefully shipped off or put in other's names so the Goldman family received as little money as possible.

This book is truthful and telling, but be careful what you wish for. Knowing the truth in details about this fateful night will still make your stomach turn, perhaps even more so. It is sickening how fame and celebrity can corrupt people. Gilbert speaks of how everybody in OJ's circle KNEW he was guilty, they just never wanted to deal with it. That plus they didn't want their MEAL TICKET shipped off to prison as most of the people who helped him get away with murder depended on OJ for their income.

Some of the highlights are:

AC and the supposed Bronco chase:
When OJ was originally arrested for the murders, he was let go. (still can't figure that one out) He was told he could turn himself in a few days later. On the day he was to turn himself in, he had AC (Al Cowlings) drive him to Nicole's grave where he was going to kill himself. After AC was sitting in the Bronco for a few minutes, not hearing a gunshot, he went over to OJ and asked him what he was doing. OJ told AC, to more or less, give him a couple minutes because he was trying to kill himself. OJ couldn't go through with it and returned to the bronco. OJ then told AC that he remembered his religious family members telling him that if he committed suicide he would go to hell. He didn't want to go to hell, he wanted to be in heaven with Nicole. Upon leaving the cemetary, AC called Los Angeles Police Department telling them that OJ was ready to turn himself in and that he was suicidal. The LAPD then sent an ESCORT to follow them to OJ's Rockingham Estate.

The whole supposed chase was not a chase at all but a police escort back to OJ's home so police could meet him there to arrest him. This would explain why police never went over a certain speed limit or tried to run them off the road and why AC was NEVER CHARGED with aiding a wanted fugitive. And why AC was never called to testify at the trial. Neither side wanted this little bit of info to get out.

The Glove:
OJ was apprehensive and anxiety ridden over putting on the gloves at trial (which he knew about before it happened). Mike Gilbert suggested a neat little trick that would work which OJ didn't quite get at first. OJ has had terribly arthritis for years and when he doesn't take his arthritis medicine, his hands swell up, especially his knuckles. OJ stopped taking his medication a few days before he was to try on the gloves and Voila! it worked.

Business Deals Behind Bars:
Little known to the average person is that apparenly one can do business while in jail at the LAPD. Well, celebrities can. Mike G., author and OJ's memorabilia dealer, visited OJ every single day and reported they made over 3 million from OJ autographing various items. Some of the guards even lifted some of the merchandise and Mike nor OJ said anything because this was just part of the deal.

OJ and Nicole:
another revealing element of the book is the turbulent relationship between the two. OJ was abusive to Nicole from the start of their nightmare relationship. The basic elements of their relationship were fighting, sex, chaos and drama, and both were addicted to it, according to the author. What is equally disturbing is how Nicole's family knew that OJ was abusing Nicole, but looked the other way and even encouraged Nicole to get back with him. The author writes that these same people who are now supporting "nicole" causes after she is dead, never gave her that much thought when she was alive. Also noted is that Nicole's father and sister both sold Nicole pics and items to the tabloids. He says Nicole's family was living the glamorous life with OJ and got all the VIP treatment perks that came along with OJ's money and fame.

Hiding of Property:
A tip from an LAPD guard to OJ's circle let them know the sheriff was coming to collect from Rockingham and elsewhere via the Goldman's lawyers and judgements against OJ. Everyone flew into high gear and got all the items worth anything out of the estate. Replaced by cheap knock-offs. Mike Gilbert admits doing all he could to make sure the Goldman's got NOTHING. He says of all the people he wants forgiveness from Fred Goldman is at the top of his list.

Double-Edged Sword:
I commend this author for doing the right thing, telling the truth about what happened. He is relieving his conscious and his debt to society. This book does not make you feel bad for him, or even sorry for him, in fact this man makes my skin crawl at the lengths he was willing to go for dirty deeds done dirt cheap. I believe what the author is saying to be true. I believe OJ confessed to him and others. I believe the details of the trial and all the missing pieces he provides.

However there is one thing I don't believe him on: Feeling bad about his part in all of this. Don't get me wrong, I think he does feel bad and this has haunted him for years, but lets get to "levels" of feeling bad. He says hiding OJ's money from the Goldmans is the one of the things he feels the most regret about, so he feels bad enough to write this book, yet not bad enough to give any of the proceeds to the Goldman family??

Let's face it, no one and no amount could ever give back to the families who lost so much, but it sure as hell couldn't hurt to give something, anything, right?

Nicole and Ron:
Of this entire saga, these two people are actually the least mentioned in all of it. Everything from racism to lawyers to football legacies to lawsuits to amounts to Broncos and everything else in between has been discussed. Yet two human beings were butchered and a murderer walks free. And this murderer is set for trial this month (september 08) for breaking into a hotel room in Las Vegas. He stands to serve time for this. Only in America can celebrities go free for murder yet end up doing time for something much less. The author of this book does not believe OJ will do time for this either.

OJ may have out smarted and conned his way past a double murder. He may have escaped the repsonsiblity of an Earthly court, but he still has to answer in God's court.

I hope and pray the families of both victims find resolve and make peace with all of this. I hope OJ comes clean, finds God and starts doing something worthwhile with his time left on Earth. It is really a shame how our justice system does not work sometimes. ( in this case, there might as well not have even been a trial, he's OJ, he's cool, he's a legend, so what if he did it, he's a celebrity and people like him) It is also a shame how millions are blinded by wealth and fame.

To Nicole and Ron: RIP


* ( I refused to contibute to this man's pockets ( no matter how sorry he may or may not be), so I got my copy from the public library)

aside from it being patently offensive that one of o.j.'s cronies is making money off this (i bought a used copy), this is actually a fairly interesting look at the toll it takes being an apologist for an unrepentant murderer. mike gilbert is a pathetic soul, who stayed with o.j. because he could still make money by signing him up for autograph conventions, but he's finally realized that all the money in the world can't help you escape a guilty conscience.

aside from it being patently offensive that one of o.j.'s cronies is making money off this (i bought a used copy), this is actually a fairly interesting look at the toll it takes being an apologist for an unrepentant murderer. mike gilbert is a pathetic soul, who stayed with o.j. because he could still make money by signing him up for autograph conventions, but he's finally realized that all the money in the world can't help you escape a guilty conscience.

This is, perhaps, the best book on OJ Simpson I have ever read (and I've read them all)! Mike Gilbert shares the raw emotions felt by OJ's inner circle...this is a very powerful account, as it reveals what it was like being there at Rockingham, and in the jail with OJ, knowing that he was guilty, but loving him more than justice itself...THANK YOU MIKE GILBERT....You are an AWESOME writer and an honest human being...you have certainly restored your integrity with this book. Although we know that OJ is guilty, you also leave us with a valuable lesson: Don't judge a man by the worse day of his life...

Best of luck to you always & I hope writing this book has now brought you peace.

Oh, one more thing, if Nicole is the one who came to the door with a knife, and OJ had only gone there to stalk or "scare" Nicole, why would he wear gloves? I can see the knit cap, maybe, but why would he wear gloves unless he had some intention to commit a crime?

I began reading this book the minute I grabbed it out of the mailbox and simply could not stop reading until the very last page. And this is from a person who works a graveyard shift and really needed to be snoozing away before noon. Need I say more? Well, yes, I do...this book answered so many questions and presented a perspective that I had not previously considered. Buy this book; you will not regret it! It is an excellent read and very well written.

I read the book last night. I was pretty skeptical going into it because I believed the main motivation had to be money even though the proceeds go to charity. Proceeds still means "after" expenses.
Some parts were really well told. Other parts read pretty dry "I said this, he said that, we went to this place". . . But overall I believed that he truly wanted to make ammends, better late than never. He makes no apologies for himself. He doesn't pretend he's completely changed. Scattered throughout he mentions autographed items and souvenirs like OJ's suit when he was acquitted, things he still has kept. I felt he was trying to authenticate them in the book so he could make more money off them later. He backed a murderer as long as he did for the the hope of a bigger payoff later on. But it didn't happen. They underestimated the public at large accepting his acquittal. OJ eventually used him up too.
I have to agree with the other reviewer that he tried to puff up his own importance as a player. I hardly think Shapiro, Bailey and Cochran were looking to him for their defense strategy. Still it feels honest.
I was surprised he praised Furhman as being the best cop on the case, the only one to find real evidence.
When he mentions the calls, the accusations and threats he still receives, he says his only response to them would be, "you're right."
So he could just be trying to make money off being on the other end of it now. Heck, probably is. But it's worth the read.

I have to admit having very mixed emotions while reading this book. On the one hand, the author seems sincere in his apology and his efforts to be rid of Simpson and his friends, yet at the same time, it has been fourteen long years that he has let elapse before his conscience managed to bubble to the surface. It really makes me wonder what took him so long to wake up.

The book is written in a casual style that can be expected for this type book and contains the details that would be expected to be known by a second tier player. (Although he tries to puff up his importance, I doubt he ever did amount to much more than second tier level.) That said, some questions are answered and this is another piece to the puzzle, but there are still a number of questions left. And, I doubt we will ever truly know the answers to the question.

A good book if you are curious, or a collector of the "entire set" of OJ murder books...otherwise I would recommend going to the library. You won't miss anything earth shattering by waiting.

Mr. Gilbert must have had an extreme difficulty of living with himself and his former wife. If one is in a business for the love of the man he is representing, how is one able to perform as part of the defense of OJ and make bucks for him while he is in jail? According to his words, Johnny Cochran and the crew did not win the case, Mike Gilbert did based on his advice that OJ not take his arthritis medicine so his hand would swell up. Where was the prosecution's medical expert and knowledge of what not taking a medicine could do to his hand based on his medical condition? Where was Marcus Allen as a character witness or even a to what extent did his involvement with Mike Gilbert and OJ go? A whole host of foul-ups here! Knowing of a Nicole and Marcus Allen dalliance or two that caused OJ to see red and refusing to admit to himself the truism of all that he knew. Mr. Gilbert's mantra was his belief that his hero couldn't have killed Nicole. He even admits that he didn't know very much about Nicole or her needs or desires. He buried himself in his belief that OJ was a human god. After reading this, I now know why OJ hasn't been able to find the killer. OJ sure wasn't going to admit to wrong doing when it is an ugly dream to him and he feels he, as a person, is to be worshipped.

I very much enjoyed this book. I think finally we get to the truth. Well as close to the truth we're ever gonna get, un less OJ decides to do the decent think and confess. Its a very honest book from Mike Gilbert, who is honest about his regrets and mistakes. Once I started reading I could'nt stop. Its amazing how did OJ get away with it??

well written and interesting but its a thin book and doesnt take long to read. anyway i recomend reading its good.

Like millions of Americans I was glued to my TV and Larry King Live for the entire second half of 1994 following every bit of the OJ case. This is as close to the real story that we will ever get--I couldn't put it down, I read it non-stop until I finished it. I believe Mike Gilbert answers every question anyone who followed the trial would have about the truth. This isn't a cheap sell-out book either, you can feel true remorse in the authors tone. At the beginning of the book Gilbert acknowledges that he, like all of us, saw the evidence, but unlike us, he had a profound conflict, he loved OJ Simpson. The book is how he comes to peace with this conflict after fourteen years. I found it very moving and would like the author to know that his apologies to those involved brought me to tears. Highly recommended.

Having closely followed the trial, and read a couple of the other books about the case - I was left in no doubt that Simpson was guilty. I wasn't really expecting too much new from this one, but I was wrong.

There are many, like Mike Gilbert, his former agent who writes this book that had complex motives for what he calls "acting as on-going accomplices to the murders". Mike is at the heart of all of the activity going on in Vegas with OJ's souvenirs - and tells the timely background tale of it. But, the most fascinating part is the motivations and actions of those around O.J. to protect him from the consequences of his true actions. For so long, O.J. had been his loyal groups meal & power ticket - and treated them well - that his destruction they knew would also to be theirs.

Finally, we hear O.J. tell someone he trusts, who has nothing to gain and doesn't profit from it (all proceeds go to charity)- that yes, he indeed did it. (While there's never been any doubt of that in my mind - this does offer some interesting probably more accurate details to the If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer description of the murder, insight behind the glove that wouldn't fit and other interesting tidbits. )

Although Gilbert fully accepts responsibility for some horrendous actions and comes across as a man with no morals - including his own actions to protect OJ from getting the money owed to the Goldmans, and profit from O.J.'s notoriety - this is still a book I recommend if you still wondered what really happened.

Well written
Opened my mind to the realities of sports star promotions
Taught me about the human condition

I absolutely agree with Rick Goldstein's review. AND I regret purchasing this book. I won't be long-winded about my opinion... suffice it to say, this book is selfish and self-serving. Gilbert is an arrogant megalomaniac! Justice would be served if he felt shame for the rest of his life. But it is glaringly clear this man (Gilbert) has no conscience.

Two things: 1.) The author states, "we were all people you might have liked". That is probably true. The only problem with that statement is that the author wouldn't have given anyone reading this book the time of day. He considers himself as one of the Elite... way too good for any sap that would be duped into paying for his opinion!

2.) Since the author so opportunistically uses the Goldman's name to sell his new found conscience and remorse... I wonder, why didn't he donate all the proceeds from this book... TO THE GOLDMAN'S?????

p.s. why does the author hate the Brown's so much? Just because they wanted to live the American Dream just like him and the killer? What a hypocrite!!

I always knew he was guilty, but its amazing that his friends went to the lengths they did to protect a murderer. Most disheartening was the information on the children.

I would not have bought the book if the author hadn't said that some of the proceeds were going to charity.

This was a great book, I read it in one night. I wish he had gone into more detail of all the relationships involved. I have always thought that O.J. is guilty, and if you don't you will after reading this. I felt the honesty, relief and sorrow in Mike's words.

It's nice to know that some people still have a conscience. In reading this book, I gained quite a bit of respect for its author, Mike Gilbert -- it takes a brave man to admit fault to this degree -- and I hope he's better able to live with himself now. What troubled me the most was seeing how the defense attorneys operated. Their goal was not to assure justice. Rather, it was to get their guilty-as-sin client off, scot free, and make an even bigger name for themselves. They used devious means to this greedy end.

As for the book's readability, it was fascinating. I read it all, including the appendixes, in record time. The background prior to the murders helped us understand the situation and personalities involved better. Now we know how the evidence was manipulated. We have a very good idea of how the crime actually happened. It gives the public closure, to some extent, putting many of our questions to rest.

Thank you, Mr. Gilbert, for writing this book.

This is the first book I have read on OJ and the murders. Thought someone might one day own up to the truth but this book is totally boring.

He is in it to make money and that's obvious. It is also obvious he has made a lot of money off of OJ up to date. First let me say I AM not an OJ fan and yes I know he committed the murders. And no I cannot stand him.

But for someone to write and sell a book under pretense infuriates me because I paid hard earned money for it and took my time to read it also.

So if you want a self serving book, poor is me, I made a mistake, etc. Buy it. If you want to help Gilbert to up the ante on the price of the memorabilia he has left of OJ's and line his pockets even more-read it.

This book is sort of a purging of this guy's conscience. Who knows whether or not his motivation for writing it is pure or not. Nevertheless, it does show on a large scale the illusions we create around other mere mortals, like O.J. Simpson. We live in a consumer driven society of celebrity worship and hunger to "see how the other half lives". He thought he was "someone" when he was initiated into that lifestyle. To give up O.J was to give up his own identity in some ways. He wanted to believe in the illusions, not the truth of O.J as a flawed, narcissistic, sociopathic personality. Obviously for this guy, he held on to O.J.'s hero image like the life preserver of a drowning man. Coming to terms with O.J. made him look at all of his own demons. It just took him a long time to finally do it. All he did for O.J and for what? The O.J. he loved and protected so fiercely was only an illusion, who could never really love him or anyone else in a real way anyway. Sad.

Sorry folks, I wanted to hate this book too. But, dayum this man can really write! Gilbert's account of the whole pre-murder celebrity whirlwind and entitlement of sports figures is totally riveting. Gilbert writes that OJ was so much more than a super-star celeb; he was a hologram that people projected their need to hero-worship onto. It gave me insight into why people fought so hard for him (I always thought he was obviously straight-up guilty). Unfortunately, OJ was just a guy and one who was prone to combining Prozac with any number of other drugs, heavy alcohol use, and sex addiction. Mr. Gilbert was by his side for "the Juicer" years and for his months in jail. Before you dismiss Mr. Gilbert, please actually read the book. Aside from being extremely involving; it is also a very sincere "mea culpa" for turning a blind eye towards domestic abuse and the excesses of celebrity culture which Gilbert helped to create through his sports marketing enterprises.

This book is no revelation to me. As a police officer, I looked at the evidence - evidence that was overwhelming albeit poorly handled. I always knew Simpson was a killer and it makes me sick to my stomach to know his attorney's knew this as well. Simpson told his first attorney Robert Shipero the truth and Shipero was going to try and get him the best plea deal he could, something he was known for. Then along came Johnny Cochran and the rest of the "dream team" who said "we can get him off if we attack the investigation." Knowing he was guilty - how do these people sleep at night? They lied to the court and to the world - their sin is as bad as Simpson's. With this book in print and obviously from an insider with first hand knowledge, I believe the feds should charge Simpson with a civil rights violation and try him again. Thanks Robert for finally telling the truth.

As someone who never thought OJ was innocent, I was only interested in this book to judge whether it was a "get rich quick", another involved cronie of OJ's or Nicole's, thrown together, it should be a crime, book.
After reading Bugliosi's book on the trial, I didn't think I'd need even more validation that I've been right all along about OJ. I picture Mr. Gilbert as someone who once said "I would never do something like that," referring to everything he did to protect his hero. This book couldn't be anything but the truth. It's one of those things one could hardly make up. It all makes sense. It's a great read; to the point. Although a little maudlin in a couple areas, there isn't any other way for Mike Gilbert to tell his story. If only he could reach the millions of young people who are caught up in the same hero worship. This is a great read, and a great lesson. While Mike Gilbert made so many bad decisions, who among us would have done differently? Rationalization is the root of all piece of mind. If you're interested at all in OJ Simpson, the real story, read this book. Shame on everyone in Nicole's life who didn't come forward to encourage her to leave OJ a long time before her death. What a great point Mr. Gilbert made in his book.

There doesn't seem to be anything published in the last fourteen years regarding the O.J. Simpson double murder case that doesn't come across as being coated in sleaze, debauchery, or simply self-serving. This book written by Mike Gilbert fits directly into that mold with the additional feel of a "Sybil-like" multiple-personality disorder suffered by the author. After reading this book my feelings are even stronger than they were before I read this book, that there was no possible benefit to humanity by publishing this. Prior to the release of this book I had pledged to never put a penny in the hands of any of the people involved with Simpson either in the crime or the cover-up. You're probably asking how can that be so if I bought this book? Ah-ha! Good question! And here is where the multiple-personalities regarding integrity and lack of same by the author and publisher. On the inside book cover "jacket" it states: "PROCEEDS FROM THIS BOOK ARE GOING TO THE "MARCH OF DIMES" AND TO SEVERAL OTHER CHARITIES WITH WHICH GILBERT HAS LONG BEEN ASSOCIATED." That is why I took a chance buying this book, because I figured in the worst set of circumstances at least "ALL" of my money would go to charity.... BUT!! When I got home, I noticed that at the bottom of the back of the cover, a small black square similar to the warning on a pack of cigarettes states: "A PORTION OF AUTHOR PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK WILL BE DONATED TO THE "MARCH OF DIMES" AND OTHER SELECTED CHARITIES." Well which is it? All... or a portion? And if it's a portion how much?? Now with that bad taste in my mouth and the stench that goes with being mislead, I will now share with "possible" readers the personality and loyalty swings of the author.

Gilbert throughout the book boasts over and over how O.J. was his idol growing up and how he absolutely loves O.J., and it was tantamount to gospel, that O.J.'s inner circle should be loyal at all costs, and anyone trying to hurt O.J. by whatever means, such as the poor mourning Goldman's, were the enemy. The author lambasts former friend Ron Shipp as "the first Judas." Shipp's crime was that he told the truth. I feel this would be a good place to go back in time and share with the potential reader how Gilbert got O.J. as a client, and how he treats the friend in this book that arranged it.

Gilbert's first big client was former Oakland Raider and Kansas City Chief Hall of Famer Marcus Allen. Marcus's mentor and friend was O.J. Simpson. Since Gilbert was always... and I mean always telling anyone within earshot how much he idolized Simpson since he was a kid, Marcus arranged an introduction and O.J. became a client. So the reward Marcus gets from Gilbert is to be constantly harangued throughout this book, and in addition to baring all his dirty laundry, the author also summarizes that if it wasn't for Marcus there probably wouldn't have been a double murder on June 12, 1994. He starts off my saying: "part of my job for Marcus included creating smokescreens that allowed him to more easily cheat on his lovely wife, Kathryn. I would leave false messages on his answering machine at his request-asking him to appear in fictional contexts, to give him an alibi and cover for his trysts with other women." I ask the potential reader: Why is this necessary to bring up 14-20 years later? Then the author decides to pour some sleaze on himself by saying: "Pretty soon, I became an illusion myself. I started cheating on my own wife, even though I loved her more than anything in the world." Another personality of the author, which I'll call the WALTER-MITTY-SYNDROME" starts to emerge where he by inflection, starts to include himself as part of the "Dream-Team" legal defense by saying: "Here's how we manipulated it... "First of all, we leaked the information about the sock... "And we kept going: a sock has four sides... "We then launched a seething attack on the man who collected the vial of O.J.'s blood... All of these "We's" are just from one page!

Gilbert beats his chest with enormous pride when he relates how he spearheaded the operation to screw the Goldman's and Brown's out of property that was legally theirs from the civil settlement. They worked all night taking possessions out of the Rockingham house and later out of other residences in other parts of the country to beat the movers coming for the belongings. Yet by the end of the book Gilbert says how much he wants to apologize to the Goldman's. One of the more distasteful claims by the author, and there are so many, it's hard to choose which ones to highlight in this review, is the fact that during Simpson's ENTIRE incarceration in jail he was signing autographs, clear up to the day of the verdict. "Business was booming. In fact, business had never been so good. He was signing footballs, jersey, posters, lithographs, serigraphs, movie scripts-you name it, he signed it. It's hard to calculate exactly how much we made during O.J.'s incarceration, but it was probably in excess of $3,000,000.00."

The author's loathsome mea culpa is, "WE KNEW HE WAS SPIRALING DOWNWARD, WE KNEW HE WAS IN TROUBLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE DAYS RIGHT BEFORE THE MURDERS. I SOMETIMES FEEL AS IF HIS CIRCLE OF FRIENDS UNDERSTOOD THIS, UNDERSTOOD THAT O.J. WAS A *VICTIM OF SOMETHING OUTSIDE HIS CONTROL*, BUT THAT HE COULD NEVER ADMIT IT, PARTIALLY BECAUSE O.J. DOESN'T LOSE CONTROL. HE'S O.J., REMEMBER?"

In summary, not only do I feel there was no reason to publish this book, I also feel there should have been no pictures included. Why would a person (Gilbert) who is now pleading for forgiveness want to print pictures with his buddy O.J. smiling with his arm around him? Why would a Father want a picture of his son with O.J. pretending to choke him? Perhaps the most repulsive picture is of O.J. giving Nicole a Christmas present of a fur coat and a handful of "stacks" of hundred dollar bills. Gilbert owes an apology to more than the Goldman's, he owes it to society as a whole.

Last but not least, if the author had any integrity at all he would give the entire amount of income from this book to charity and have it legally documented.

I found this book to be an emotional rollercoaster. I have to believe what was written in this book, because the author wasn't trying to clear himself of any wrong doing, he was laying it out as it was, putting himself up as a target. I can only imagine what Mike Gilbert has had to live with all these years in the name of loyalty. Very good reading, hard to put down.

I finished the book in one day. Finally the truth after so many years. This book answered so many questions that I think many of us had about O.J.'s trial. It also gave rare insight to what happened behind the scenes. It was written with passion and conviction. A truly entertaining and exhilerating read. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what really happened.

This book, surprisingly, is not trash at all, but reads like a great tragic American novel. The characters are unbelievably twisted but at the same time human and real and vivid. I actually could not put it down and read it all the way through this morning. People are grabbing it from my hands. Not only because of the staggering info it contains about OJ and the case but because of the way it is written. It is actually heartbreaking, in parts. Try to read it before you make promises of vomiting on it or burning it. The PR it has gotten does not do it justice. It is a real book--not just a cheap OJ slammer. It's complex and requires that you engage your heart, from page 1.