Stepan Partamian’s “Yes We Have” is not a single story but a compilation of various stories about the incredible Armenians who changed American history through their inventions, discoveries and talents. Partamian compiled over one hundred stories of influential Armenian-Americans starting from the first Armenian colonists who settled in Jamestown.

The multi-faceted Partamian is also the founder of the Armenian Arts Fund, which encourages people to enhance their artistic ability in various ways. He is perhaps best known as a flamboyant and controversial daytime talk show host.

When opening to the first page of the book I was stunned to see a picture of President Obama instead of a picture of the author or a famous Armenian. Under the picture of 44th President of the United States, Barrack Obama, was a section of his April 24th Armenian Genocide commemoration speech. In his speech he states, “The United States of America is a far richer country because of the many Americans of Armenian descent who have contributed to our society…” This first page set a very nationalistic and enthusiastic tone to the rest of the book.

“Yes We Have” includes stories of inventors, musicians, actors and actresses, businessmen and women, war heroes, politicians, scientists, and authors. I found myself learning about countless amazing contributions to American society made by Armenian-Americans.

This is an attention grabbing, page-turner that is very successful in keeping the reader’s attention because it not only includes well known Armenian-Americans’ stories, but also the lesser-known influential Armenians such as Luther G. Simjian who invented the ATM machine.

I would have to say this book was a complete joy to read and I guarantee everyone and anyone who reads it will be surprised and gratified by the incredible things Armenians have contributed to America, I know I was.

Born in Caesarea around 1880, Cardashian made his way to the United States in 1902. After graduating with a law degree from Yale in 1908 he went on to open a successful legal practice in New York.

Interestingly enough, Cardashian actually later became the representative for the Ottoman Embassy in the US. As he learned of the Turkish government’s plans to exterminate his own people–including his mother and sister, who became victims of the Genocide–he resigned his post and transformed himself into a “one-man army” fighting for the Armenian Cause.

Cardashian was most well known as the founder of the American Committee for the Independence of Armenia (ACIA), the precursor to today’s Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Working alongside the likes of Armen Garo (Armenia’s then Ambassador to the US), he succeeded in rallying countless prominent Americans in support of pro-Armenian issues.

The book features both a biography and synopsis of Cardashian’s life and work. It also features excerpts of his reports, correspondence and writings during his advocacy with the ACIA. These writings offer direct insight into the issues and argumen’s being fought over in US policy at the time. They also reveal the nature of the battles an Armenian patriot such as Cardashian had to confront. Ironically, the lessons of these battles are as relevant today as they were back then.

Cardashian eventually passed away in 1934, in pursuit of the Armenian Cause until his very last breath. Although he was not able to shift US policy against collaboration with Kemalist Turkey, his efforts helped lead to such successes as Woodrow Wilson’s push for a viable Armenia in the Treaty of Sevres, official White House recognition of the Armenian Republic and the blocking of American ratification of the Treaty of Lausanne.

More importantly, the standard of sacrifice, political influence, and integrity that he established became the blueprint for future generations of Armenian activists in the United States. Understanding his legacy and ideas should be paramount to anyone concerned with the future of Armenian American political action. If you’re one of those people, you should definitely consider picking up this book.

I have never been to France, but Viken Berberian’s second novel Das Kapital: A Novel of Love + Money Markets made me feel like I was strolling through the south side of the French coast. From the towering skyscrapers of New York City to the serene beaches of Marseilles and Corsica, Berberian takes the reader on an exciting tale of financial markets and relationships with a uniquely exquisite poetic style.

With his past experience within the finance industry in Paris, Marseille, and Manhattan, Berberian has first hand knowledge of the inner workings of financial markets. It is with this knowledge that Berberian created the main character of the novel, Wayne. Wayne is a successful stock trader on Wall Street, who makes a living by shorting stocks (profiting from shares losing value). In layman’s terms, Wayne profits from disaster and chaos. As he himself explains in the book, “Revolution, recession, devaluation, bankruptcy, war, genocide, earthquake, natural and man-made disaster, coup d’etat, nuclear meltdown; anything that might send a country into the scrap heap of history. You name it, we’ll trade it.” As a veteran stock trader, Wayne has a knack for predicting falling markets. To further his stock shorting operation, Wayne even goes as far as hiring a Corsican militant associate—a militant who, interestingly, crosses paths with a love interest of his.

Das Kapital is an interesting novel with a unique view of present day financial markets. Having worked in the three main cities where the novel takes place, Berberian’s personal accounts help him paint a vivid picture of the setting. A homage to Marx’s original Das Kapital, Berberian portrays the worlds of finance, capitalism, and love with a fresh and unusual perspective. I would often think about the state of the world and economy while reading his book. Although, at times, certain parts were a bit wordy, I would recommend this novel for anyone interested in a different view of capitalism than that commonly presented in the American media and textbooks.