Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Washington Post

These Are the Most Fulfilling Jobs in America

When we looked at new data on which jobs give you the most pride or satisfaction, or serve the community best, one job took the top spot in every category.

The Conversation

To Have Better Disagreements, Change Your Words

Here are 4 ways to make your counterpart feel heard and keep the conversation going.

The Guardian

Ghost Hunting and Interactive Art: The Weird Afterlife of Xbox Kinect

Microsoft’s motion-sensing gaming camera was released for the Xbox 360 in 2010. Artists, roboticists and more are still finding new ways to use it.

The Kitchn

How To Make Panna Cotta

Don’t be intimidated, it’s actually super easy.

Literary Hub

The 45 Best Prison Escape Movies, Ranked

We’ve got chases and escapes, from POW camps, maximum security prisons, and chain gangs.

Inc.

Science Says the Most Successful Kids Have Parents Who Do These 9 Things

Chances are, there’s something on this list you're missing.

Nautilus

Human Emotions Are Personal Narratives

Neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux on what makes our brains unique.

Bloomberg

Nine Bosses on What They Do on the Weekends to Unwind

From pickleball to kitesurfing to hikes with the kids, these C-suiters stay active.

The Guardian

Typing Loudly, Wearing AirPods: ‘Taskmasking’ Is How Gen Z Pretends to Work at the Office

As more companies mandate a return to the office, young workers learn to game the system to take back control.

Women’s Health

How to Identify and Heal From a Toxic Relationship, According to Therapists

Plus, experts debunk the biggest myths about unhealthy relationship dynamics.

Scott Young

Two Types of Growth

It’s a mistake to assume you’ll grow and improve at a steady rate.

WIRED

You Know It’s a Placebo. So Why Does It Still Work?

As researchers try to make sense of “open-label” placebos—fake drugs that proudly announce their fakeness—the mysterious effect is starting to show up beyond the world of medicine.

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 9

Saveur

That Chewy, Bouncy Texture You Love Has a Name

Whether in boba tea, cuttlefish, rice noodles, or cassava dough, the texture of QQ connects people across cultures and generations.

BBC

How ’Keep Calm and Carry On’ Became a Divisive 21st-Century Phenomenon

After a forgotten WW2 propaganda poster was discovered in 2000, it found an astounding new resonance in 21st-Century Britain – becoming an endlessly memeable template that is both cherished and mocked.

Food52

Our 10 Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes of All Time

From crispy to chewy, we’ve collected the best of the best.

The Hollywood Reporter

Last Call for Late Night

After 70 years of tucking America into bed, it looks like the curtain is about to come down on the late night genre. What’s being lost is more than a TV tradition but a backdrop for some of America’s most memorable moments.

Lifehacker

Are ‘Ultra-Processed’ Foods Really That Bad for You?

They’ve been linked to heart disease and other health conditions.

The Guardian

Knife Throwing and Cheeseburger Spinning: The Agony and Ecstasy of Being a Viral Trickshot Video Star

Think you could throw a basketball off a 540ft dam, into a hoop – while blindfolded? Meet the talented and ludicrously patient people putting hours into the internet’s most joyful (and pointless) clips.

The New Yorker

The Internet Wants to Check Your I.D.

New safety rules require users to verify their identities before gaining access to sites. This spells the end of the relative anonymity that we’ve come to expect online.

Condé Nast Traveler

16 Golden Rules That Business Travelers Swear By

People who constantly hit the road for work share what they wish they’d known from the jump.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Popular Mechanics

A Company Says It Can Predict Your Baby’s IQ Before Birth. But Where’s the Science?

The company released white paper that details how it’ll be able to screen embryos for the likelihood of 17 different diseases. But it only mentioned its IQ predictions on social media.

Axios

Trump Plans to “Take Over” Gaza Aid Effort, U.S. Officials Say

“The starvation problem in Gaza is getting worse. Donald Trump does not like that. He does not want babies to starve.”

Parents

What Parents Need to Know About Insect Bites and Encephalitis

Encephalitis cases are increasing. Here’s what parents need to know about insect bites and encephalitis.

Nautilus

The Philosophy of Tyranny

What a formative period in Plato’s life tells us about US politics today

Kiplinger

Five Things to Do If You’re Forced Into Early Retirement (and How to Reset and Recover)

Developing a solid retirement plan — before a layoff — can help you to adapt to unexpected changes in your timeline. Once the initial panic eases, you can confidently reimagine what’s next.

Variety

Outstanding Sci-Fi, Western, Procedural or Action Series? Maybe It’s Time to Bring Back the Genre Emmys

In his Awards Circuit column, Michael Schneider muses at the idea of bringing back genre Emmys like Sci-Fi, Westerm, Procedural and Action series.

Polygon

Gamers Are Taking Over Wplace, the Google Maps for Mass Collaboration Pixel Art

wplace is like the year-long version of Reddit’s r/place, except it takes place on a worldwide map. Video games and nerdy references are everywhere

Popular Mechanics

500 Years Later, Scientists Solve Leonardo Da Vinci’s Human Heart Mystery

The inventor sketched intricate muscular structures half a millennium ago. Turns out he was on to something.

Los Angeles Times

‘Freakier Friday’ Has Magical Chemistry but It Won’t Swap Places With the Beloved Original

Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are having a blast in an overstuffed sequel to the 2003 hit “Freaky Friday” co-starring Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons.

BBC

The Radical Film Flop That Changed Disney Forever

Disney Animation’s ambitious and innovative 1985 film The Black Cauldron was an experiment that dramatically failed, arguably putting the future of the studio in question.

The New York Times

Civil Cases Against Major Polluters Plummet Under Trump

In its first six months, the Trump administration has filed 11 civil cases against polluters compared with the Biden administration’s 30.

The Marshall Project

How We Analyzed the Justice Department’s Death in Custody Data

A rare look into data collected under the Death in Custody Reporting Act revealed serious problems.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Psyche

Does Progress Seem Slower When You Constantly Check on It?

Research on how we perceive the rate of change shows how you can be strategic about goal tracking and boost your motivation.

NPR

Why Short Breaks to Move Around Are Crucial for Your Creative Process

When bestselling author Kelly Corrigan’s creativity runs low or her mood turns, she doesn’t power through. Here are her tips for connecting your body to your creative process and getting unstuck.

SELF

5 Things Every ‘Conflict Avoidant’ Person Should Do Before Any Difficult Conversation

The word “conflict” usually brings to mind raised voices or awkward tension—outcomes most people would rather avoid.

SELF

5 Injuries ER Doctors See All the Time—and How to Avoid Them

You might be surprised by the seemingly innocuous behaviors that cause them.

SELF

9 Exercises for Knee Pain to Help You Move (and Feel) Better

Strengthen and stretch your way to happier joints.

Kiplinger

Are You Leaving Money on the Table? Four Strategies to Free up Stuck Investments

From forgotten 401(k)s to outdated asset allocations, stuck money can hurt your retirement. Here’s what to do about it.

CNBC

What Private Assets in 401(K) Plans Mean for Investors: ‘You’re Only Asking for Trouble,’ One Advisor Says

Millions of investors may soon have access to private assets in their 401(k) or other workplace retirement plans. What to know about the risks and rewards.

Allure

Inside the World of Professional Back-Scratching

“I just want to pay someone to tickle my back.”

The Conversation

Vaccines Hold Tantalizing Promise in the Fight Against Dementia

A prominent Nature study and related research raise the possibility that vaccines may have a broader role in experimental therapeutics outside the realm of infectious diseases.

Harvard Business Review

Research: When It’s Time to Leave a Career You’re Passionate About

From commencement speeches to career advice columns, the call to “follow your passion” is all around us.

Cup of Jo

What’s It Like to Date While Disabled?

I always call my childhood best friend after a date. Here’s why.

CNBC

Education Department Launches Key College Financial Aid Form Sooner Than Expected

The Education Department said the rollout of the 2026-27 FAFSA will be on schedule this year, with beta testing already underway.