In 1989 the international community banned the international trade in elephant ivory; three years later the ban was renewed. Dr. Harland believes the ivory ban is the most controversial--and most misunderstood--piece of international wildlife law ever made. His book, "Killing Game," seeks to unravel some of the misunderstandings, and it attempts to determine if international law can be an effective tool for the conservation of wildlife and if international law has served the African elephant well.

Part I is an extended investigation of how and why international law is used so badly by...