Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Conversation

Five Ways to Make Your Daily Walks Even More Beneficial

Changing the way you walk can improve your cardiovascular health, strength and mental wellbeing.

The Guardian

The Truth About Dark Empaths

They seem sensitive and caring – but really they just want to manipulate you. So how do you recognize the danger signs?

MEL Magazine

How Did an Entire Sri Lankan Handball Team Vanish in Germany?

Fox News called them terrorists. Their home country pretended they never existed. But in the end, they were only doing what was best for their families.

Atlas Obscura

The Conqueror Who Longed for Melons

Many Indian dishes can be traced back, indirectly, to a 16th-century, food-obsessed ruler named Babur.

The Washington Post

Roaring Engines, Blasting Movies: Is Air Travel Hard on Your Hearing?

Exposure to plane noise is generally safe, but keep the headphone volume in check.

Literary Hub

Writing Wisdom from Anne Carson: “It is Very Fun to Delete Stuff”

And other insights from one of our greatest living writers.

Popular Science

How to Turn AAA Batteries Into AAs

This is a truly A+ hack.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Nicole Krauss’s Beautiful Letter to Van Gogh on How to Break the Loop of Our Destructive Patterns

“Bravery is always more intelligent than fear, since it is built on the foundation of what one knows about oneself: the knowledge of one’s strength and capacity, of one’s passion.”

CityLab

When the School Bus Doesn’t Come

The school commute is turning into a nightmare for many families, as cities across the US grapple with a severe driver shortage.

Aeon

Cruel to Be Kind: Should You Sometimes Be Bad for Another’s Good?

Turns out, humans have an excellent sense of when a negative emotion will be the best motivation.

Mental Floss

Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap To Some People?

The herb’s unique flavor can make a dish for some and ruin it for others.

Narratively

The Original New Orleans Diva

With sequins on her arms and a cocktail stirrer hanging from her neck, the most vibrant and vivacious member of NOLA’s preeminent restaurant family made the city her personal playground.

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

Sunday, July 6

Bon Appétit

An Inside Look at the Best Snack Trends at the Summer Fancy Food Show

At the Comic Con of snacks, we track down the latest in sweet treats, sauces, and drinks.

Boston

Did We Ruin Summer Camp by Making It Safe?

The kids are all right—but are they missing out?

CNN

A Couple Tried for 18 Years to Get Pregnant. AI Made It Happen.

As artificial intelligence shapes fertility care, it’s now helping doctors find hidden sperm.

KCRW

Want Better Bakes? Here’s What Your Ingredients Actually Do

Pastry chef Nicola Lamb sifts through the essential ingredients of baking — flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.

CNN

Here’s Who Stands to Gain From the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill.’ And Who May Struggle

President Donald Trump has promised that the “big, beautiful bill” passed by Congress will be one of the most successful pieces of legislation in American history.

Smithsonian Magazine

In a Milestone for Manhattan, a Pair of Coyotes Has Made Central Park Their Home

For six years, two photographers have carefully followed the canines and documented their secret lives.

New York Magazine

'People Want That African Euphoria'

Black Americans are moving to Ghana — and driving up the cost of living for everyone around them.

Reuters

They Tried Made in the USA. It Was Too Expensive for Their Customers.

Tens of thousands of American small and midsize manufacturers are facing the choice between paying steep tariffs on Chinese imports or taking on significantly higher domestic production costs.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

The Verge

Adding Calendar Events With a Screenshot Is AI at Its Finest

Apple Intelligence comes in handy for once.

Popular Mechanics

Tackle Tricky Spots Your Lawn Mower Can’t Get to With a String Trimmer. We’ll Help You Get Started.

Trim flower beds, tidy up around trees, and slash weeds with this versatile tool.

Parents

Parents Want a ‘90s Kid Summer’ for Their Families—but Is It Realistic?

The ‘90s kid summer’ trend is going viral but it’s not plausible for every family. Here’s how to still reap the benefits.

Time

Microsoft’s AI Is Better Than Doctors at Diagnosing Disease

The AI system bested human doctors at diagnosing difficult medical cases.

Far Out Magazine

Graham Nash on a Brave Bruce Springsteen, a Problematic Donald Trump, and How Nina Simone Still Inspires Him: “Things Are Pretty Chaotic”

Graham Nash has been making music for six decades and his songs have never seemed more relevant than today. We speak to him about them here.

Harper's Bazaar

What’s Behind Fashion’s Obsession With Cargo Pants?

Designers are turning an everyday staple into an extraordinary addition.

The A.V. Club

Spinal Tap Defined a Real Genre With a Fake Band

The Spinal Tap rockers led by Christopher Guest played real music, shot direct cinema, and changed mock-docs forever.

Essence

How Rap Icons Gave Americana Style a Whole New Attitude

Some of the most impactful truth-tellers of our time flipped their red, white and blue to demonstrate the subversive power of Black culture.

NBC News

NBA Free Agency: Breaking Down the Best and Worst Moves So Far This Offseason

The Denver Nuggets have made shrewd moves, while the Lakers have caused confusion.

Vox

The Bizarre True Story of Disney’s Failed US History Theme Park

Disney tried to a build a theme park that tackled slavery. It didn’t go well.

Vogue

16 Cookbooks Defining the Way We’re Cooking (and Entertaining) in 2025

We’re only halfway through 2025, and already our shelves—and stovetops—are groaning with the bounty of this year’s best cookbooks.

Gizmodo

Billionaire Mark Cuban Says AI Gives Workers ‘Superpowers,’ but Crypto Is ‘Not Even Close’ to Its IPhone Moment

In a Q&A with Gizmodo, the billionaire investor explains why AI is about to change your job and why crypto still hasn’t delivered on its promise.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

DW

Paris Reopens Seine River for Public Swimming

Parisians have begun bathing in the Seine for the first time in over 100 years after a ban was lifted. The French capital has created three swimming zones along the river as part of its Olympic legacy.

Inc. Magazine

Half of Remote Employees Nap During the Workday, a Survey Says 

Employers might want to keep an eye open for any visible facial creases, suspiciously mussed hairdos, or groggy comments during video meetings with remote staff. It turns out nearly half of people working from home admit to taking naps on company time.

Men's Health

How Long It Should Take to Walk a Mile—and How That Can Help to Improve Your Fitness

Whether you're looking to move more or you want to upgrade your daily stroll, these tips will help you pick up the pace.

The Atlantic

The Feminine Pursuit of Swoleness

A new book considers how weight lifting can help you unlearn diet culture.

Lifehacker

Five Psychological Tricks You Can Use to Make Yourself Feel Happier

It’s easy to see why being happy is such a challenge these days. People are working jobs they hate, struggling to pay bills, and living in an increasingly isolated, digitally driven world.

Fast Company

Why Office Gossip Can Be Good for the Workplace (If It’s the Right Kind of Gossip)

Gossip at work is inevitable. But what exactly workers gossip about can be key in dictating company culture. Rumor has it that gossip can be a positive force in workplace cultures, under the right circumstances.

The Conversation

Self Determination Theory: How to Use It to Boost Wellbeing

A foundational idea in self-determination theory is that we have three basic psychological needs: for autonomy, competence and relatedness.

The New York Times

Illness Took My Mother’s Independence, but It Gave Us Something Precious

An immune condition changed my mom’s life — and taught us to see art differently.

The Guardian

How Sorry Are You? Why Learning to Apologize Well Could Save Your Relationships

Got something to say sorry for? Here are words that have no place in your apologies, according to those who have spent years analysing them.

Fast Company

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Vacation

Plan to connect with loved ones and plan to disconnect from work.

The New York Times

Better Half

The midpoint of the year is an opportune moment to look back at where we’ve been, and set our sights for where we want to go.

The New York Times

Gen Z, It Turns Out, Is Great at Saving for Retirement

Brynnley Beckman is only 23, but she is already thinking about retirement. She teaches ninth grade biology at the Shelton School in Dallas and contributes 3 percent of her salary to an employer-sponsored retirement fund. She hopes to increase her contribution by 1 percent each year.