The new book, along with Web sites and seminars, is part of Gutman's effort to make international humanitarian law known to journalists and the public.

Mary K. Magistad, a Neiman fellow and National Public Radio reporter, praised Gutman's book for its clarification of humanitarian law.

"The new information [in this book] makes your stories stronger," she said. "It lets you look with sharper eyes, know what you're seeing and why it's illegal."

Professor Theodor Meron, a New York University professor of law lecturing on humanitarian law at Harvard this semester, also raved about the book.

But he cautioned that the problem is a huge one.

"The situation is not good," Meron said. "There has been a tremendous humanization of international law, but reality doesn't measure up to standards."

Concern over this disparity between the theory and practice of the law elicited questions from the audience. One audience member suggested that a clear delineation of the law, instead of encouraging compliance, would expose the number of violations and therefore weaken the law.