Michael Allin is the author of "Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story, from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris," which has been published in 19 languages and was chosen for the French Reader's Digest. He has worn out more than half a dozen passports writing movies and researching books in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. He retraced the journey of France's first giraffe from Khartoum to Paris and has crossed China by land. His novel, "The Christmas Kid," is based on his experiences hitchhiking across the United States. His screenwriting credits include "Enter the Dragon." He also wrote the original 11 drafts of the screenplay for Dino de Laurentiis's "Flash Gordon."