Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Washington Post

7 Hotel Red Flags That Should Make You Run in the Other Direction

No pictures? No booking.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Bruce Lee on Self-Actualization and the Crucial Difference Between Pride and Self-Esteem

“The less promise and potency in the self, the more imperative is the need for pride. The core of pride is self-rejection.”

Afar

A Love Letter to Driving Alone

Embarking on a road trip by yourself is solo travel taken to another level.

Outdoor Life

How to Tie a Square Knot

This simple connection will come in handy for a wide variety of outdoor activities.

The War Zone

Modern Submarine Torpedo Attacks Are Nothing Like What You See In The Movies

Breaking down how modern torpedo attacks really go down and the types of torpedoes that are used to sink ships and other submarines.

The Washington Post

How to Use All Those Takeout Chopsticks in Your Miscellany Drawer

Try the disposable utensils when cooking, twisting orange peels or cleaning those hard-to-reach places.

Aeon

Anger Is Temporary Madness: The Stoics Knew How to Curb It

Anger is a complicated emotion, but one you can learn to control. Here’s how.

Quartz

It’s Enlightenment Philosophy’s Fault That Women Wear High Heels Instead of Men

Men wore them first as a symbol of status. Then times changed.

Scientific American

How the Higgs Boson Ruined Peter Higgs’s Life

A biography of the physicist and the particle he predicted reveals his disdain for the spotlight.

Greater Good Magazine

What a Children’s Book Taught Me (and My Students) About Grief

Teaching sixth graders about grief helped teacher Lauren McGovern after the loss of her son.

Narratively

As a Fugitive With a Fake Name, I Discovered the Real Me

I was arrested at an anti-war protest, jumped bail and went on the run. That’s when my story really began.

The Guardian

I Was the Poster Girl for OCD. Then I Questioned Everything I’d Been Told About Mental Illness.

When I sought help for crippling invasive thoughts, I was told I had a disease like any other. But I wasn’t able to recover until I understood the fallacy at the heart of mental healthcare.

Popular Collections

Curated guides to the best reads on the web

Pocket Collections

The Art of Navigating Thorny Office Politics

From bad bosses to gossipy colleagues and, of course, office refrigerator drama.

Today’s Pocket Hits

Saturday, August 16

ESPN

The Predatory Web of Sextortion Increasingly Ensnares Young Athletes

A Michigan teen was goaded into sharing an intimate photo that scammers threatened to expose unless he paid up.

CBS News

This Car Ranks as America’s Most-Stolen Vehicle

Here’s why one Chevrolet model is the most-stolen type of car, according to a new report.

BBC

How Kentucky Bourbon Went From Boom to Bust

Tariffs, oversupply and teetotaling Gen-Zs have all contributed to the downfall of one of America’s most iconic liquors.

The Associated Press

The Top Photos of the Week by AP’s Photojournalists

This photo gallery, curated by photo editor Anita Baca, highlights some of the most compelling images worldwide published in the past week.

Food & Wine

I Tracked a Wild Salmon From Sea to Plate — What I Learned Surprised Me

Wild salmon is abundant in Alaska and coveted by chefs — but most Americans eat the cheaper, milder farmed kind. Journalist Kim Cross set out to learn why — and how to cook the real thing right.

The New York Times

He Announced His Intention to Die. The Dinner Invitations Rolled In.

In early December, a 28-year-old Ghanaian artist and entrepreneur named Joseph Awuah-Darko announced on Instagram that he wanted to die.

ESPN

How Happy Are You As a Fan? Find Out Where You Score in Our Sports Misery Index.

Whether there’s confetti falling from your team’s last title or you’re still waiting to see your first, you probably have an idea of how satisfied - or miserable - you are as a fan. But could you put a number on it?

Serious Eats

5 Ways You Should Be Using Salt (But Probably Aren't)

Salt is the spice of life.

‘Quiet Firing’ Is Spreading, but There Are Business Risks to Tactics to Push Workers Out

Businesses looking to cut jobs don’t want to do it through layoffs, but stricter RTO rules and other tactics are pushing workers out.

The Atlantic

The Logic of the ‘9 to 5’ Is Creeping Into the Rest of the Day

How free time gets conscripted into the service of work.

Time

Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s AI Feud Gets Nasty

The two AI heavyweights got into a public fight over their rival companies, with each accusing the other of dishonesty.

Architectural Digest

The Best Home Theater Ideas for Elevated Binge-Watching

Designers explain how to style a room for memorable movie nights.

Axios

Where Homicide Rates Are Highest: Blue Cities in Red States

Mississippi, Alabama and Missouri have cities with high homicide rates.

The Verge

Supreme Court Opens Door to Social Media Age-Gating in US

The age of internet verification is approaching.

The Verge

A Treaty to End Plastic Pollution Is Still Out of Reach — That’s Not Necessarily a Bad Thing

“We need to address unhinged plastic production.”

Vanity Fair

Sarah Jessica Parker and Michael Patrick King Think They Gave Carrie Bradshaw the Perfect Ending

On ‘And Just Like That…,’ why they felt ready to finish the series, and the three nods to ‘Sex and the City’ sewn into its finale.

Bustle

This Sleep App Helped Me Romanticize My Nighttime Routine

The Loóna app uses soothing games and unique ambient sounds to help you fall asleep.

Fast Company

‘Made in the USA’ Is a Struggling Brand

New data shows that shoppers are putting cost over country.

Fast Company

How Tech Pinpoints Urban Heat Islands and Makes Cooling Projects Easier

Data pinpointing the highest-risk areas enables urban planners to strategically place small pocket parks, cool roofs, and street trees to help cool the hottest spaces.