Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

BBC Future

Do We Really Live Longer Than Our Ancestors?

The wonders of modern medicine and nutrition make it easy to believe we enjoy longer lives than at any time in human history, but we may not be that special after all.

BBC Culture

Why Lady Macbeth Is Literature’s Most Misunderstood Villain

Shakespeare's murderous queen has long been demonised as a wicked seductress. Yet actors who have played her show she deserves far more understanding.

The Kitchn

What Coffee-Brewing Method Makes the Best-Tasting Cup?

I tried 5 methods to make Italian-style coffee at home. The winner was clear and surprising.

Inverse

The Sound of ‘The Birds’

How Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece revolutionized sound design and film scoring.

Shondaland

Basking in the Colors of Noise

When you’re feeling sleepless or stressed, the healing sounds of noises, like pink and white, can evoke ease and wellness.

Bloomberg Businessweek

Putting Olive Oil in a Squeeze Bottle Earned This Startup a Cult Following

Graza upended the cluttered category with an often-forgotten innovation: Clever package design.

Prevention

How to Remove a Tick Head—the Right Way

Experts explain exactly what to do in a critter crisis.

Romper

What Is Generation Alpha?

We’re just beginning to find out.

BBC News

The Tip-Off From a Nazi That Saved My Grandparents

It has often been described as a “miracle” that most of Denmark’s Jews escaped the Holocaust. Now it seems that the country’s Nazi rulers deliberately sabotaged their own operation.

Fast Company

Stop Annoying Everyone With These Common Email Mistakes

“You’d think years of using the tool would make us proficient, but email is considered one of the biggest time wasters at work.”

BBC Worklife

How a ‘Beginners’ Mindset’ Can Help You Learn Anything

Although our ability to easily pick up a new skill declines with age, harnessing a specific type of mindset can help you learn effectively as an adult.

Truly*Adventurous

The House of Lost Souls

When a down-and-out doctor finds his rundown mansion is haunted, he pulls the quintessentially American move: opening the house to the public for a fee. Everything goes wrong from there.

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

Tuesday, July 22

NBC News

A Cross Between a Nicotine Pouch and an Energy Drink: What to Know About Caffeine Pouches

Teen-friendly promotion of the product is spreading on social media. Adding to the concerns is a caffeine pouch startup from a former Juul marketing executive.

WIRED

A Head-to-Toe Breakdown of Social Media’s Billion-Dollar Remedies

Bad mood? Puffy face? Immune issues? Across TikTok and Instagram there are scores of influencers ready to sell you some products—without ever sending you to a doctor.

The Guardian

Where the Wild Things Are: How to Immerse Your Kids in the Great Outdoors This Summer

Some of the most priceless holiday memories cost next to nothing – as my four-year-old son and I have found on our forays into nature.

Virginia Quarterly Review

The Game Is Played With Great Feeling

How Pokémon can save the world, one Pikachu at a time.

Maclean’s

My Classroom Will Be AI-Free This Fall

A humanities education is vital in this polarized world. But students need to read the books.

The Walrus

Can Office Tools Help Couples Optimize for Domestic Bliss?

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the colour-coded Google Calendar.

BBC

How a Fatal Accident Ended Ted Kennedy’s Presidential Hopes

In July 1969, Senator Edward Kennedy pleaded guilty to fleeing the scene of an accident where a young aide died. But many questions about the ‘Chappaquiddick incident’ went unanswered.

Boston

Blood Feuds: The Fight Over Who Gets to Be Native American

A Rhode Island tribe’s quest for state recognition has sparked a controversy.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Literary Hub

Hypergraphia: On Prolific Writers and the Persistent Need to Produce

Ed Simon considers the habits and processes of a group of critically and commercially acclaimed authors.

Vox

Inside the Federal Government’s Purge of Climate Data

Climate facts are inconvenient — so Trump is making them disappear.

Essence

Tracee Ellis Ross Has a Strong ‘Inner Compass’ for Joy, Now She’s Sharing It on Her New Travel Show

The multi-hyphenate mogul is bringing her talents and passion for travel to television with her new show, Solo Traveling, on Roku.

The Spruce

6 Things You Can Find in Every Stylish Room, According to Interior Designers

Designers say these six items are found in every stylish room; learn what they are to make the most out of your decor choices.

Axios

How Trump’s Game-Planning for the 2026 Midterms

Trump’s ability to accomplish more big things in Congress — and avoid impeachment — hinges on keeping the GOP’s razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate in his last two years in office.

ESPN

Premier League’s Big Spenders Gear up for Epic Title Race

Due to the transfer spending of four clubs, the 2025-26 season has the potential to become the most competitive title race since the Premier League began.

Civil Eats

What Bees Can Teach Us About Well-Being and Survival

‘Wisdom of the Hive’ invites readers to reflect on the complex relationships between humans, bees, and the planet we all share.

Fast Company

Why Ambition Is Misunderstood—and How to Reclaim It

Stepping into purposeful ambition might feel like meeting yourself for the first time.

The Marginalian

Doris Lessing on How to Read a Book and How to Read the World

Born in Iran and raised in Zimbabwe, Doris Lessing was fourteen when she dropped out of school and eighty-eight when she won the Nobel Prize.

Condé Nast Traveler

In the Columbia River Gorge, the Food and Wine Are As Epic As the Nature

Separating Oregon and Washington, the Columbia River Gorge has long been a nature lover’s paradise. Now winemakers and restaurateurs are providing additional reasons to visit.

Yahoo

MLB Trade Deadline 2025: What’s the Latest on the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Luis Robert Jr.?

In a trade market projected to have more buyers than sellers, the team that has started to get the attention of contenders around the league is the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Popular Mechanics

Scientists Just Witnessed the Birth of a Solar System for the First Time

This is amazing.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Time

10 Questions to Help You Plan for the End of Life

Talking about death is often life-affirming.

CBS News

COVID-19 Cases Are Rising in These States Amid Summer Wave, CDC Data Shows

The data, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also showed a significant increase in COVID-related emergency room visits for young children.

CNBC

What a Trump, Powell Faceoff Means for Your Money

Tensions are escalating between the White House and the Federal Reserve, with consumers caught in the middle.

The Walrus

Before You Share That Health Tip, Read This

Misinformation is everywhere. And yes, some of it has probably gotten to you.

CNBC

Student Loan Bills Could Double for Some Borrowers As Biden-Era Relief Expires

Many student loan borrowers could see their monthly bills more than double now that the Biden-era SAVE plan is defunct.

Stylist

Managers, Here’s How to Have an Effective 1-to-1, According to Career Experts

How to help your team members get the most from your meetings.

Fast Company

I’m a Two-Time Tech Founder. but Restaurants Are Where I Learned to Lead

The surprising lessons the conveyor belt sushi business taught me. Sudden equipment failures. Supply chain surprises. Retaining staff as the goalposts move in real time. These aren’t challenges I’ve faced as a tech founder—but I have faced them running restaurants.

The Week

How Can You Get the Maximum Social Security Retirement Benefit?

For many, Social Security benefits are a key part of their retirement plan. So it makes sense that you would want to get the most possible from this monthly source of income.

Yahoo

What Is ‘Revenge Saving,’ and Should You Hop on the Trend?

“Revenge saving” emphasizes making up for poor financial habits by being aggressively frugal or restrictive with your current spending.

Money.com

Why You Probably Need Flood Insurance — Even if You Don't Live Near Water

Over the Fourth of July weekend, parts of central Texas were devastated by flash floods after the region was hit with the equivalent of four months' worth of rain in just a few hours. At least 134 people were killed, and more than 100 are still missing as of press time.

GQ

What to Wear to a Job Interview, According to Hiring Experts

Make sure your suit fits, don’t dress too sexy, and other essential advice from professionals in law, tech, finance, and marketing.

Kiplinger

I Want to Buy an Annuity, but I’m Scared I’ll Get Ripped Off. Should I Get One Anyway?

An annuity is a way to achieve lifetime income in retirement, but you need to understand how this product works before making a purchase.