John D Balian

 John D Balian, MD’s life story personifies the immigrant story and the American Dream. Considering his very humble beginnings in the Middle East and the inconceivable adversity Dr. Balian faced from childhood through adolescence to later become an accomplished physician and a senior executive in a multinational corporation, his life story should be the inspirational and motivational account of these challenging times.

Dr. Balian was born to parents of no education and no means in a remote village in Anatolia near Diyarbekir, a historic Armenian city now in Eastern Turkey. He faced unimaginable tragedy that led to the splintering of his family that launched him into a life of destitution and wandering through several Middle Eastern and European countries.  Despite cruel twists of fate, he eventually reached the land of opportunity because of his own fighting spirit and survival instincts and the help and kindness of strangers.

He attended Columbia University on a full scholarship and received a medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. After a medical residency and fellowship, Dr. Balian worked for the United States Food and Drug Administration prior to moving into the healthcare industry. He currently is a senior executive of a US-based global corporation.  Due to his reputation of a transformational leader in his field with numerous accomplishments and innovations, Dr. Balian was recently elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Armenian Center of Columbia University. He is widely published in trade journals.
 

Gray Wolves and White Doves, a thriller based on actual events is Dr. Balian’s first novel. He has lived in the locales described in the novel and has first-hand knowledge of the events. While the novel is the epitome of a timeless story and the struggle between good and evil and the perseverance of the underdog, it is a unique tale told in a unique manner. The historical and current political and social upheavals in the Middle East make this book eminently relevant.