(Knopf)

This ­biography follows Obama’s political evolution and the people and events that shaped him. The author conducted hundreds of interviews with family, friends, teachers, professors, mentors, donors, rivals, and the president himself. Among his sources were the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jesse Jackson, and Bill Ayers. Remnick is editor in chief of The New Yorker.

(Pantheon)

The protagonist of this novel, which explores the clash between faith and reason, is best-selling author/academic Cass Seltzer, dubbed “the atheist with a soul.” Divided into 36 chapters, each expressing an argument for or against the existence of God, the book was called “irreverent and witty” by Publishers Weekly. Goldstein was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (the “genius grant”) in 1996. 

(Silver Squid Music)

This solo debut album features 12 original songs by New York-based singer/songwriter Cissell, who plays violin, guitar, piano, banjo, ukulele, and other instruments on these recordings. Drawing on his roots in folk, bluegrass, and classical music, Cissell “refuses to settle into a particular genre,” wrote a reviewer for splicetoday.com. But his “folksy guitar for most of the tracks ... gives the album a unifying folk-rock tone.” Cissell is also a member of the Hudson Quartet, a string quartet.