Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Smithsonian Magazine

Eight of Literature’s Most Powerful Inventions—and the Neuroscience Behind How They Work

These reoccuring story elements have proven effects on our imagination, our emotions and other parts of our psyche.

Darius Foroux

How To Create A Career

One of the most important career lessons I’ve learned is to pursue a career and not a job. At first glance, you might think, “What’s the difference?” I also didn’t get it for years.

Inverse

The Universal Remote Is Streaming’s Most Tragic Casualty

Universal remotes promised to simplify controlling TV entertainment centers. Then streaming happened.

The Guardian

Six Ways to Make Your Life Easier and More Peaceful – By Using Stoic Principles

As the world felt increasingly chaotic, I wondered which principles I could apply – turns out there were many.

Atlas Obscura

In 1930s New York, the Mayor Took on the Mafia by Banning Artichokes

Gangs and mafiosos have a long history with food crime.

Outside

Jessica Nabongo's Lessons from Visiting Every Country

Nabongo is the first documented black woman and first Ugandan to travel to every sovereign nation. Here’s what she learned along the way.

Literary Hub

No One Cares About Your Dreams—Unless You’re a Famous Writer

Saul Bellow, Susan Sontag, Sylvia Plath and more on their nighttime visions.

Homes & Gardens

I Found Decluttering Exhausting – Then I Tried the ‘One Touch’ Tidying Rule

The ‘one touch’ rule could be the solution if keeping your home tidy feels like a never ending challenge.

Mental Floss

The Right Way to Hold Your Cat, According to a Vet

All the cuddles, none of the struggle.

Stylist

How to Get Rid of Milia, Those Tiny White Bumps That Appear Around Your Eyes and Cheeks

Ever wondered what’s causing those small white bumps around your eyes? They could be milia, and your moisturizer might be to blame.

Srinivas Rao

Why Excessive Consumption Limits Your Creativity

We consume far more than we create when it should be the opposite.

Scientific American

For Alzheimer’s Sufferers, Brain Inflammation Ignites a Neuron-Killing “Forest Fire”

And it could also be the kindling sparking Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative maladies.

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

Friday, August 1

The Hustle

The Only State Without a Walgreens Pharmacy

Many independent pharmacies are in turmoil throughout the US. But a unique law has made North Dakota a haven for mom-and-pop operators.

Mother Jones

The Surgery That Reveals Everything That’s Wrong With Women’s Health Care

From "wandering wombs" to modern biases, the troubling politics of hysterectomies

The American Scholar

Hundreds and Thousands

I didn’t know how you could inventory memories. I might search for a particular one, bring it up, dust it off. But how to count five days’ worth?

The Independent

Meet the Childfree Communities Planning for a Future Without Kids

As increasing numbers of us can’t or won’t have children, Helen Coffey talks to those who are planning their lives without a nuclear family, and investigates why government policy has yet to catch up with this rapidly growing demographic.

The Baffler

Winging It

For those trying to overcome their fears of flying, it’s been . . . a challenging time to say the least.

The Cut

What If a Child Was Terrified of Food?

The rise of ARFID, a new eating disorder driven not by body image but by fear.

PBS

In the Gray World of GLP-1 Supplements Online, Health Experts Urge Caution

TikTok beauty influencer Kaycee Ogle is regularly contacted by brands who want her to promote their products. But one email she received in June was different, and made her curious.

Vulture

Let Your Kids Watch TV. It’s Fine.

A no-guilt screen-time guide.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Martha Stewart

8 Smart Ways to Avoid Getting Stung by a Wasp

Don’t let stinging pests ruin your time outdoors. Learn expert-approved tips for avoiding getting stung by wasps and keeping wasps away.

Smithsonian Magazine

Seventy Years Ago, Johnny Cash Recorded ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and Became a Folk Hero for the Ignored and Downtrodden

A man of the people, the artist put his money where his mouth was by visiting prisons around the country and performing the song

Discover

Dental Floss Has Potential to Deliver Vaccines, Replacing Needles or Nasal Sprays

Learn about how a dental floss pick could be the new and more effective vaccine delivery method.

Gizmodo

After 100 Years of Quantum Mechanics, Physicists Still Can’t Agree on Anything

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of modern quantum mechanics, a survey asked 1,101 physicists for their takes on some hot questions in quantum theory.

Parents

New Study Says Kids Under 13 Shouldn’t Have Smartphones—but What If They Already Do?

An extensive study looks at the risks of smartphone use for kids under age 13, and those risks are very real.

Martha Stewart

How to Eliminate Termites for Good—and Keep Them From Coming Back

Dealing with a termite problem? Learn how to get rid of termites permanently with expert-approved methods that eliminate infestations and prevent them from coming back.

Nautilus

These “Junk” Proteins May Fuel Adaptation

And they could help some creatures adjust to changing climates

Education Week

Sandy Hook Survivor: Teachers Need a Louder Voice in School Safety Debates

Aspiring teachers also need the opportunity to talk about gun violence during their time in college, Abbey Clements said.

High Country News

How a Network of Volunteers Helped Spot Colorado’s Butterflies in Decline

A Q+A with an entomologist who trains people to count butterflies for science.

ESPN

Why Soccer’s Summer Transfer Window Lull Won’t Last Long

The final days of July are the dog days of soccer’s summer transfer window, but August will bring a flurry of wheeling and dealing.

Gizmodo

Scientists Unveil the Shocking Truth Behind Lightning’s Mysterious Birth

A full understanding of how lightning forms in the clouds has eluded scientists, but new research promises to solve this enduring mystery.

PS

The Surprising Link Between Eczema and Eating Disorders — and What to Do

The link between eczema and disordered eating is more common than you might think.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

CNN

‘Ozempic Face’ May Be Driving a Cosmetic Surgery Boom

“You can only refill a deflated balloon so much, and often surgical intervention is necessary.”

CNBC

While the Fed Kept Its Benchmark Unchanged, Here’s What Happened to Consumer Borrowing Rates

When it meets this week, the Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep its key short-term interest rate at its current target range — where it has stayed for all of 2025.

Maclean’s

Confessions of the Working Poor

I work hard, buy quality clothes and know how to fake my way through dinner-party conversations. But behind the scenes, I’m part of a fast-growing Canadian underclass.

CNBC

Back-to-School Shopping Is More Expensive This Year — Here’s the Breakdown

This year, parents will pay more for back-to-school essentials such as pens, pencils and backpacks.

The New York Times

Study May Undercut Idea That Cash Payments to Poor Families Help Child Development

Rigorous new research appears to show that monthly checks intended to help disadvantaged children did little for their well-being, adding a new element to a dispute over expanded government aid.

The Associated Press

If You Don’t Have Diabetes, Do You Really Need a Continuous Glucose Monitor?

A quarter-size device that tracks the rise and fall of sugar in your blood is the latest source of hope — and hype — in the growing buzz around wearable health technology.

The Guardian

Trust Your Gut and Fail Bravely: Seven Influential Women on the Advice They Would Give Their 30-Year-Old Selves

It’s tempting to imagine what we might have done differently. But, as Diana Nyad says: ‘We earn our wisdom.’

The Guardian

‘It Would Destroy Me’: Fear of Student Loan Default Haunts US Borrowers

The Trump administration has ended the pandemic-era pause on repayments, leaving many facing colossal debts.

NPR

In a First, the Senate Confirms a New CDC Director

Susan Monarez is the first director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to require Senate confirmation. She’s also the first director without a medical degree in more than 70 years.

CNBC

Animal Shelters Are Crowded as High Costs Squeeze Pet Owners

Millions of animals are stuck in increasingly cramped shelters because their owners are struggling to pay rising vet bills and other expenses.

CNBC

Even Many High-Earning Americans Don’t Feel Wealthy. Here’s Why

Many high earners in the U.S. still feel broke. Between lifestyle creep, debt and social pressure, even $200,000 per year doesn’t always buy peace of mind.

Vox

How to Make the Hardest Choices of Your Life

From picking a career to picking a spouse, one radical philosophical idea will guide you.