Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Popular Science

One Notebook Could Replace All the Productivity Apps That Have Failed You

A nerd’s guide to bullet journaling.

Inc.

Why Forgetting Actually Helps You Learn, According to a Cognitive Psychologist

Try teaching others what you’re trying to learn yourself.

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.

Nautilus

The Paradox of the Elephant Brain

With three times as many neurons, why doesn’t the elephant brain outperform ours?

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.

Aeon

On the Benefits of a Blue Period

Painful times can confer benefits that make us happier over the long term.

Srinivas Rao

Why Excessive Consumption Limits Your Creativity

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

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.

Bon Appétit

Coconut Creamed Greens

A sauce of coconut milk, a hot chile, and spices create a full range of bitter, sweet, and tingling flavors.

The Hustle

The Millionaire Who Lost It All and Became a Castaway

When David Glasheen lost his fortune in the 1980s stock crash, he packed a small suitcase and moved to a remote island.

MEL Magazine

The Afterlife of the Male Model

What happens to young men when they quit the modeling industry? Some exit the business gracefully, some take a nose dive, some find salvation at the Cheesecake Factory.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

The Baffler

Winging It

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

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.

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 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.

The Walrus

Millennials Are Becoming Caregivers Whether They’re Ready or Not

Still under 40, many are responsible for aging parents while raising kids and managing debt.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Essence

How Inclusive Storytelling Is Finally Having Its Moment

A growing movement is challenging colorism and reshaping the way Black womanhood is seen on screen.

Popular Mechanics

A Tiny 29-Pound Electric Motor Just Beat Everyone in Power Density

Yasa, a small British engineering company, built an over-730-horsepower beast that weighs just under 30 pounds.

The Marshall Project

The Trouble With Trump’s Homelessness Plan

The president’s new executive order defies legal precedent and proven strategies for reducing homelessness, says attorney Jennifer Mathis.

Fast Company

Laid Off? Start Building up Your Personal Brand

When done well, a strong personal brand attracts job offers, and can lead to consulting or speaking opportunities.

Parents

Your Teen Was Unproductive This Summer—What Now?

Gen Z teens experience more pressure than ever to be productive and active during their time off. Here’s what to know if your teen spent most of their time on the couch during the summer.

The Atlantic

The Dangerous Logic of CTE Self-Diagnosis

The Midtown Manhattan shooter speculated that the condition was a cause of his mental illness. But drawing that line is premature—and risky.

Real Simple

6 Things You Should Clean Monthly for a Healthier Home—but Probably Don’t

Think your home is clean? Experts reveal six surprising things you should clean every month to reduce germs, odors, and allergens—starting with your ceiling fan blades.

CBS News

Even Households Earning $150,000 a Year Are Struggling With Credit Card and Car Payments

More high-income Americans are falling behind on their loan payments as the market for white-collar jobs cools.

Romper

How to Help Teachers Most If You Don’t Have Time to Volunteer

You love your kid’s teacher and know they’re underpaid. So, how can you best support your child’s teacher if you don’t have time to volunteer during the day?

Axios

What to Do When You’re a Trump Target, Corporate Edition

Advice for companies that become the focus of Trump’s Truth Social posts

Lifehacker

I Review Trendy Home Gym Equipment, and Here’s What I’ve Learned About What to Buy

So many trendy fitness items are manufactured quickly and cheaply to capitalize on social media buzz. They’re designed to look good in videos and photos, not to withstand daily use over months and years. Here’s the home gym equipment that’s worth the inve

ProPublica

Idaho Schools Consistently Break Disability Laws. Parents Say They’re Not Doing Enough to Fix the Problem.

Idaho students with disabilities have worse outcomes than many of their peers in other states, according to federal data. Parents say it can take months to evaluate students, and in some cases schools have refused to provide needed services.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

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.

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.

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.

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.

USA TODAY

Trump’s Trade Deal With the EU: What It Means for Your Wallet

The new tariff could increase prices on goods such as cars, furniture and pharmaceuticals. Trump's tariffs are expected to raise prices by 1.8% in the short term, per the Yale Budget Lab.

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.

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.’

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.

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

‘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.